Gemini
by FanBoyTrippin
Summary: After an unfortunate encounter with the Joker, Tim is forced to temporarily take Dick's place on the team. But can the Third Robin successfully substitute for the original without being noticed? Eventual Slash. Written Pre-Invasion. Hiatus.
1. In Which There Were Two

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. I will not be held accountable for exploding eyeball or raging mind fucks resulting from the reading of this fic. Oh and this is SLASH! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Otherwise, enjoy!

**Pairing:** Eventual DickGraysonxWallyWest and ConnorKentxTimDrake

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Slash and Canon Warping!

**Summary:** After an unfortunate encounter with the Joker, Tim Drake is forced to temporarily take Dick's place on the team. But can the Third Robin successfully play substitute for the original without being noticed? Eventual DickxWally and ConnorxTim slash. NOT AN OC!

**A/N:** Sorry to all hardcore DC fans, but I will be screwing with the canon! This Is slightly AU and parallels the events of Young Justice, but will have major alterations to the Batman storyline. And for the record, I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE BATMAN STOYLINE ANYWAY, bar what I read on Wikipedia. I may also include little history notes at the beginning of each chapter so I don't have to cram what I changed into the story body.

**Wikipedia Background Info:**

Tim Drake – The third character to play Robin in the Batman series. Basically, he's different from Dick in that he has more notable detective skills and was able to deduce the identities of Robin and Batman, earning respect from adversaries for his intellect. Combat wise, Tim is also advanced, having been trained by instructors across the world and able to incorporate his intelligence into deducing the weak points of foes. Later in the series Dick Grayson is said to regard Tim as an equal.

No one from Young Justice knows Dick's identity.

**Gemini: Chapter One**

Tim smiled uncertainly, sending a questioning look at Dick. "Are you sure about this?"

Dick looked up from his console in the Batcave and shrugged. "Look, I'm not feeling the aster here either, but after last week's incident with the Joker, I can't exactly go around superheroing right?" Dick held up his plaster encased arm for emphasis. "Someone needs to replace me on the team, and it's not like I can ask just _anyone_ for help,"

Tim let out a longsuffering sigh and nodded. Last week had been trying for the original Boy Wonder and after a misfortunate incident with Batman's archrival, Dick had been left with a bullet in the arm, unfit for combat. "I know that, but why do we have to trick your friends into thinking I'm you? Why can't you just take a few weeks off to recover anyway? Or tell them I'm gonna be subbing for you for a while. I mean it's not like-"

Robin cut him off. "You know we can't do that," he stated calmly. "The fact that there is more than one Robin in Gotham is a Batcave secret, just like our identities. And I can't take time off without crippling the entire team. The guys need a Robin and you…" he paused, pointing at Tim. "Fit the profile exactly! Besides, they probably won't even notice anyway. We look exactly alike with your mask on and you've been masquerading as me for over a year while I was out with the team."

Tim nodded again, touching the black domino mask on his face. It was true. While Robin was off on covert missions with his teammates, Tim was protecting Gotham with Batman using Dick's superhero identity. But he was still doubtful. "Yeah I know, but me being Robin and kickin' the butts of bad guys who'll never see me again is NOT the same as me being the Robin of the guys you LIVE WITH most of these days! There's no way they won't know something's up!"

Dick waved him off. "If you read the files I sent you on the team then you'll be fine! You've got nothing to worry about! Now get to the transport pad, they'll be expecting you soon!" Turning back to the console, the original Boy Wonder began typing in the coordinates for Mount Justice. Tim however, would not be deterred.

"What about Wally?" he pressed as Dick stood from his seat and began pushing him across the dark expanse of the Batcave, towards the transporter. "He's your best friend! Has been for years! He will TOTALLY notice!"

Dick gave another shrug. "He'll be too busy flirting with Megan or arguing with Artemis to figure out something's up. Now hurry up and get in! I have some serious recuperating to do and listening to your whiny mouth isn't helping!" Tim did as he was told, pausing only after hearing a bitter note in Dick's voice at the mention of his lightning fast friend. He was about to protest further, but the transporter activated, whisking him away before he had a chance.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

_Recognized. Robin. B01_

One bright flash of light and Tim was beamed into the Young Justice base. Swallowing thickly, he hid all traces of unease as he walked to the control room, where Kaldur, Megan, Wally, Artemis, and Superboy were gathered around large holographic computer screens awaiting his arrival.

"Robin!" Kid Flash greeted his friend, smiling brightly, "You're late dude! What took you so long!"

Tim flashed a smirk, channeling Dick, and let loose a snarky reply, "Well excuse me for being busy KF. Being partnered to the greatest detective in the world does have its drawbacks." This was how Dick acted right? A bit proud, but playfully so. Inwardly, Tim groaned. He should have spent a bit more time analyzing his counterpart's personality before deciding to accept the role of substitute.

Wally let out a quick laugh before quieting as Batman's face appeared on one of the overhead screens. Tim too grew serious, giving the Dark Knight his full attention, but not before taking note of the intense glare Superboy was sending his way.

"Greetings team," the hero began, looking over them all, eyes straying a little longer over Tim to acknowledge his presence. "I have your next mission."

A quiet mumble of "Finally!" rippled through the group, causing Batman to send a withering glare at Kid Flash. He then continued.

"We are currently overseeing transport of the Genomes of Cadmus to an island off the coast of New Zealand. Though they do not wish to strictly involve themselves with League matters, they have been cooperative in exposing company secrets, revealing to us the locations of several other Cadmus affiliated laboratories still active across the country. The mission we have for you is to infiltrate one of these establishments and lead a data raid on their servers. We're sending you the coordinates now."

As he finished speaking, images of the target appeared on adjacent screens along with a detailed map of the area. "You will have twenty-four hours to complete the task and we will expect a report upon your return." The members of Young Justice all nodded in confirmation as the image of the hero disappeared from the screen.

_Twenty three_ hours later and the team was stumbling back into the base, bruised and battered, but successful. Although they were discovered and had to take down a Cadmus super-serum enhanced psychopath in the process, they did retrieve the necessary data from the facility. Luckily, the Meta was defeated quicker than the one they faced upon freeing Superboy from his cloning pod, as Robin was able to assess weaknesses in the creature's physiology and take it down with a few well placed batterangs.

Upon their return to the mountain, the team was greeted by Batman… and much to their surprise, the Man of Steel himself.

"Congratulations on a job well done," Superman stated upon reentry, studiously avoiding the eye of Superboy as he did so. "Might want to try not to be discovered next time, but overall a really good job." He shifted awkwardly upon feeling Superboy's gaze.

Clearing his throat to ease the growing tension, Batman continued from where his friend left off. "Yes, a job well done to you all," he said addressing the team as a whole, then turning away. "You are dismissed for the night. Get some rest." With that, he headed towards the teleporter, Superman following sheepishly and avoiding his clone's gaze. Quickly the team dispersed, Aqualad to his room, Artemis to drop off her gear, Megan to the kitchen, and Wally following to flirt with Megan. Only Robin and Superboy were left in the main room. And with the Man of Steel gone, the clone's gaze was back on the Boy Wonder.

Slightly irritated, Tim decided to address the problem directly. Superboy had been staring at him ever since he'd arrived at the mountain, throughout the entirety of the mission where they'd been paired together, and ever since his return, save for when Clark Kent had made his unexpected appearance. It was unsettling.

"Is there any particular reason you keep staring at me?" he asked casually, crossing his arms. Despite his calm demeanor, Tim was a bit unsure at what to expect. Superboy's file had been predictably sparse, with him being listed as quiet, brooding, easily angered, and unpredictable. Tim didn't like unpredictable.

The superhuman scowled in response, sending a glare at the other boy. However, when Tim returned his gaze unfazed, the boy spoke up.

"Something's different about you," he said, getting straight to the point. Tim cocked an eyebrow questioningly, remaining outwardly calm and pushing the initial panic that arose from statement aside. He couldn't have figured it out, could he?

"Different how?" he asked an inquisitive grin spreading across his face, feigning amusement. The clone's scowl deepened.

"I don't know how," he said in reply, "But you are. And it's weird." He walked past Tim in the direction of the halls leading to the team's rooms, intending to end the conversation, but stopped short. "You're different… but not in a bad way," he said, back facing Tim, before disappearing from sight.

Tim just stared after him, gaping at what had just happened. Unpredictable indeed.

Xxx

A/N: So that's the end of the first chapter. Don't be worried about the Wally flirting with Megan thing. It's gonna dissolve soon. Like next chapter. By the way, **REVIEW!** It'll get me to update faster and feed the plot bunny gnawing on my mind.


	2. A Chocolate and Pie Based Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. I will not be held accountable for exploding eyeball or raging mind f*cks resulting from the reading of this fic. This is AU – meaning alternate universe – but only slightly so. Oh and this is SLASH, MEANING _**GAY**_! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Otherwise, enjoy!

**Pairing:** DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake

**A/N:** Just another reminder, I'm screwing with the DC timeline! Uhh, And the chapters are gonna alternate between Tim and Superboy centered and Dick and Wally centered, with some Tim and Dick interlude in between. Oh and sorry if it seems like I'm shipping Wally with Megan at the beginning. I AM NOT!

By the way I'm going to take the WallyxDick relationship kind of like Zeraphie's story, "The Art of Warm Fuzzies," in which Wally meets Dick, but doesn't realize his superhero identity.

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

None at this moment.

**To the Reviewers**

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I read them, and was like WOW! Also, thanks to those who put down some character information in their reviews. Like I said, I know NOTHING about the D.C. World, so any tips you have for me will be well received.

**Gemini: Chapter Two**

Wally watched Ms. Martian as she flew around the kitchen, telepathically lifting ingredients from the refrigerator as she gathered supplies for the new recipe she was attempting. He half-heartedly followed her with his eyes sighing as he did so. Honestly, he was a bit frustrated that all his attempts at flirting with her so far were clearly being ignored. She obviously only had eyes for Superboy, who was as oblivious (or uncaring) as a rock.

"Duh Megan!"

Wally was suddenly started out of his thoughts at his green-skinned friend's exclamation. Instinctively, he turned on the Kid Flash charm.

"What's up, Megs?" he asked, a flirtatious grin spreading across his face. Megan just smiled in response then sighed.

"I forgot that we ran out of chocolate the other day and I really need it for a recipe I'm trying out," she said sheepishly. She then looked up. "Could I ask you for a favor, Wally?"

Wally's grin widened as he nodded enthusiastically. "Sure thing _Meg_alicious!"

She smiled thankfully. "Could I ask you to run to the store and pick me up some supplies? I know it's right after a mission and you're probably tired, but I've already started the batter, so…"

Wally picked up on her uncertainty and stood. "Sure thing. Anything for you! I'll be back in a flash!"

Leaving her with the ridiculous pun, the speedster sped out of the room, towards the nearest grocery store. However, just as he was about to enter, he stopped. He desperately needed to make headway with the Martian, and cheap, store brand chocolate was not going to help his cause. Making up his mind, he decided to take a detour to Gotham where Robin had introduced to him a gourmet sweets shop that would surely help him win Megan's favor.

Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Dick sighed, walking slowly down the dark Gotham streets. It was just past nine and he really shouldn't be out so late unsupervised, but having just received Tim's report on the team's most recent mission and spending the day cooped up in the mansion with nothing to do, he was feeling restless. Therefore, he left a note with Alfred and hightailed it out to his favorite hangout for when he was down. Gotham Sweets. He could swear that whoever made the pies at that shop had magic fingers. They were just _that good_. However, just as Dick was about to enter the pie and pastry heaven, a yellow-red blur rushed in front of him, knocking him off his feet and onto his injured arm. Closing his eyes he let out a hiss of pain, but it was forgotten instantly when he heard a familiar voice offering a panicked apology.

"Oh my gosh, I'M SO SORRY!" exclaimed one horror stricken Kid Flash, who then offered him a hand.

Dick froze, surprise overtaking him before he cautiously accepted the help. _Calm yourself, Dick,_ he said to himself, before looking up at his friend, who was staring intently into his eyes. His unobstructed, sunglassless, unmasked, blue eyes. Again he stiffened, worried that Wally had recognized him. However, the other teen's eyes held no signs of recognition, only… _wonde_r?

Cocking his head to the side, Dick waved a hand in front of the face of his staring friend. "Uhh, hello? You okay there?"

Wally started in shock, seeming to have just realized what he was doing. "Uhm, yeah! Sorry. I wasn't, uh, watching where I was going?"

Dick chuckled softly, panic long gone. He didn't know who he was! "I can see that, Kid Flash" he replied, smirking.

Wally flushed, embarrassed. "Y-You know who I am?"

Dick smirked again, amused by his friends antics, but at the same time a little confused at why Wally seemed so flustered. "Well, the costume does give you away."

Looking down at his spandex clad self, Kid Flash grew impossibly redder. "I, uhm, yeah," was all he could muster in response.

Sending him a questioning look, Dick smiled. "Well, okay then. If that's all, I'm gonna go in and get a snack." He turned away, about to step into the store, when a hand on his uninjured arm stopped him.

"W-W-Wait!" Wally stuttered, unsure. "Let me make it up to you for knocking you down. Let me buy you something!"

Dick frowned, uncertain. He wasn't sure if interaction between him and his teammate while under his civilian identity was the wisest decision. Unfortunately, Wally took his reaction as rejection and began to backpedal.

"I-I-I mean, only if you want. 'Cause I bumped into you and stuff," He laughed awkwardly. Dick instantly took pity on his friend and made a hasty reply.

"No, no, it's fine," Dick said quickly. "I just mean, uh, this store is a little expensive and I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

Wally chuckled, the tension between them lifting, "It's fine, dude, I've got some cash." Which was true, as the Justice League allowed each of the members of Young Justice a small amount of spending money to do with as they liked.

Fifteen minutes later and Dick and Wally were situated in a small, wooden booth at the side of the store, Dick with a slice of apple pie and Wally carrying a small bag of cooking chocolate. A companionable silence had spread between the two as Dick dug into his dessert. All the while, Wally watched him longingly. Eventually, the resting Robin noticed his counterpart's stare, but mistook the look as the boy wanting his pie.

Looking up, Dick frowned. "You're not getting anything?"

Wally swallowed thickly and cast his eyes down. "Uh, nah, I'm good!" he said grinning. His stomach growled.

Smiling softly, Dick offered his plate to his friend. "You can have some of mine."

Wally just snorted, crossing his arms and sitting back in the seat. "Dude, do not offer me food, unless you want me to eat all of it. I have a high metabolism. That plate will be clean before you can drop your fork."

Dick laughed, a high and clear sound, causing Wally to stare again, fascinated by his voice. For some reason, he was enraptured by the boy across from him. "It's okay,"" Dick replied. I've gotta get going anyway. I really shouldn't be out this late, especially with an arm like this." He raised his injured appendage for the young superteen to see.

Wally just grimaced, but accepted the treat. "How'd that happen anyway?" he asked, digging in.

Dick shrugged. "Fell while playing basketball in gym. Landed at a weird angle. It's no big deal." The lie tumbled out his mouth, unbidden and natural. He stood up and prepared to leave, stretching a bit as Wally did the same, pie surprisingly forgotten.

Sheepishly, Wally glanced at Dick, "I, uh, it was nice to meet you, uh…"

"Dick," the boy said when he realized his friend was grappling for a name. "And it was nice to meet you too, Kid." He paused, taking out a few spare bills to leave for their waiter, before turning his attention back to his friend. "I've got to go now, but I'll see you around, alright?" he asked.

Wally nodded enthusiastically. Dick smiled and waved as he walked away, Kid Flash staring dreamily after him.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

_I'm so screwed_, thought Wally as he sped across the street, silently tailing Dick as he walked his way home. The boy didn't seem to notice his follower trailing behind him. _And now I'm acting like a stalker._

But Wally couldn't help it. That kid… There was something about him. Maybe it was his eyes. They were just _so blue_. As cheesy as it sounded, Wally could get lost in those eyes and had during their brief time together.

_Crap, I don't even know his last name!_ he moaned inwardly as his newfound crush rounded a corner. Wally was just about to do the same, when he stopped. Dick was walking up a hill towards a HUGE mansion! And then suddenly Wally was hit with an equally HUGE revelation.

That was the Wayne Mansion! He'd seen it on TV, in magazines, it was unmistakable! And if that was true, then… T-that guy he had just been having pie with was Dick. Dick _Grayson_! Ward of the multibillionaire Bruce Wayne!

_Holy shit!_ So much for things looking up.

Xxx

A/N: So how did I do? Is it a bit too cliché? I'm a bit nervous I won't live up to the expectations of the great reviewers I've gotten so far. Oh and PLEASE REVIEW! Seriously, I'm like an attention whore, so click that little button!


	3. In Which Tim is Therapist

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. I will not be held accountable for exploding eyeball or raging mind f*cks resulting from the reading of this fic. This is AU – meaning alternate universe – but only slightly so. Oh and this is SLASH, MEANING _**GAY**_! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Otherwise, enjoy! And beware and slight potty mouth.

**Pairing:** DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake

**A/N:** SORRY FOR THE WAIT! I HAD MIDTERMS! BUT AT LEAST THIS CHAPTER'S A LITTLE LONGER! Also, I'm still in high school, so I'll probably only update once a week, so add me to your story alerts? And another thing, I rushed a bit putting this up so pardon my errors/award statements/ clichés?

**To the Reviewers:**

THANK YOU CHINESE FAIRY FOR YOUR LONG REVIEW! AND TO GEENE, HERE'S YOUR *slightly* LONGER CHAPTER! AND TO ALL MY OTHER REVIEWERS, YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Lex Luthor is superman's archenemy. If you didn't know that, get out _**now!**_

Some references to Damian Wayne, aka Robin Number 5 and Ra's al Ghul, a terrorist. Look him up if you don't know. DC Wikia is a great source of information.

**Gemini: Chapter 3**

"_Different how?" Robin asked, an amused smirk playing across his face. Superboy felt his scowl deepen._

"_I don't know how," he said in reply, "But you are. And it's weird." He walked past the Boy Wonder, towards his room, but stopped short. "But not in a bad way."_

Superboy could have almost sworn he heard the young teen's jaw hit the floor as he left, but what he said was true. The clone had noticed it as soon as Robin had returned to base.

It was like he was a whole different person, as if Superboy had never met him before in his life. Why this was, however, the clone didn't know. Superboy continued to frown as he walked to his quarters. He would ignore this feeling… for now.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

It seemed Robin wasn't the only thing different at Mount Justice, as early the next morning, Superboy was greeted with the sight of an oddly somber Wally sitting at the base's kitchen table. Absent was his normally hyper, chipper, and slightly irritating demeanor, replaced with that of sorrow and depression. This worried Superboy, not that he'd ever admit it. Feigning indifference, he paid no mind to the sulking teen, heading to the pantry to grab a box of cereal before settling himself down at the room's large table – a cautious few feet away from the speedster. Moments later, Aqualad walked in, followed by Megan and Robin shortly after. Chatting companionable amongst themselves, they stopped short upon seeing their ailing teammate.

"Wally?" Megan asked, hesitantly. "What's wrong?"

Wally just sniffed in response. "I don't want to talk about it."

Robin frowned by the Martian's side, then motioned the others away as he approached his best friend. "Wally, don't lie to Megan. Tell us what's up." His expression (or whatever part of it was visible behind his heavily tinted sunglasses) was worried. He obviously sensed whatever had upset the other teen was serious.

KF only shook his head in reply before setting his head down on the table, buried in his arms of his yellow pajamas. This, however, did not deter Robin, as he shot a predictably snarky response at his yellow friend.

"Fine. Then we'll talk about this here and now," the Boy Wonder said as he took the seat next to his friend. "So what's up? Finally realize you're a bit of a moron?" he asked, nudging him in the side. Wally lifted an unamused gaze toward his friend before falling back into his previous position.

"Aww, come on! Don't be like that! Cheer up!" Robin sighed before smirking. "I bet you just got the wrong toy in your Happy Meal," he teased, poking the other's shoulder playfully.

The yellow clad boy swatted his hand away.

Robin frowned. "Dude, stop acting like you just got dumped!"

At this, Wally stiffened, before deflating. Robin grinned devilishly. He'd struck a nerve. "Oh, so this _is_ about _girls_, huh? Did you meet someone?" However, as quickly as it appeared, his smirk disappeared, only to be replaced by confusion. "But how? When? We just got back to the mountain, **last night**, after going up against a horde of mad scientists and monsters." His eyes widened. "Oh god, please don't tell me you didn't fall in love with a mad scientist or his or her respective monster!"

Groaning, Wally just stood up, sad eyes facing the rest of his team. "I'll tell you later. I'm just not up for it right now." He then walked up the room, dragging his feet as he left. Megan made a motion to follow, but Robin held up a hand, silently communicating that he would go instead.

Meanwhile, the Red Tornado entered the room, oblivious to the drama that had just gone down.

"Superboy," he said, grabbing the clone's attention. "I have a message for you from Superman. He would like to speak with you in the conference room as soon as you are able."

Superboy's heart stopped. Superman? What could he possibly want? Was he finally ready to acknowledge him? Standing from the table, he nodded solemnly, quickly dismissing himself from the room.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

"So what's her name?" Tim asked, following the sulking boy as he went to his room. Typing a key code into a panel by the entrance of his quarters, Wally waited until they both had been let in and the door slid shut behind them before replying.

"It's not a she…" he said in a quiet voice.

Tim cocked an eyebrow in response. That was not the response he had been expecting. And totally not something he signed up to handle when Dick asked him to take his place for a while. Batboy was gonna owe him _big_ for this.

"Ok, so who's the guy?" he asked, trying to supportive and nonjudgmental. Obviously his companion was distressed and he needed to reassure Wally that this did not change his – or rather "Robin's" – opinion of him.

Apparently, he did a good job acting, as Wally began to open up, flopping down on an armchair on across the room and mentally steeling himself for the conversation to come.

"It's Dick Grayson."

Tim's jaw dropped. Shit just got real.

Seeing Tim's reaction, Wally sighed again, throwing himself back against the chair with hands held high.

"I know, I know," Wally exclaimed. "I'm royally screwed. I'm gay for the son of the richest man in Gotham! There is no way you can possibly tell me I'm not totally fucked up."

Shaking himself out of his shock, Tim tried to formulate a response, but ended up staying silent.

"Tell me what happened."

Shortly after and Tim was told everything that happened during KF's and the first Robin's brief encounter. Basically, they'd met after Kid Flash had crashed into the boy on the street, knocking him on his injured arm. Embarrassed, he'd offered to buy him something to eat and they began to chat, ending with Dick sharing his pie with the Boy Blunder. Kid had been smitten the instant he'd seen Dick's face, and in his desperate, infatuated state, followed the young Grayson home to the outside of Wayne Manor, where he realized the true identity of his new love. He then promptly hightailed it back to Mount Justice, where he spend the majority of the night realizing how screwed he was.

"I-I really don't know what to tell you, Wally," Tim responded truthfully, after all was said and done. "Dick Grayson is… I don't even… wow…" The Robin substitute was at a loss for words.

"Yeah," Wally replied somberly, "That's how I feel right now. Totally lost."

Sitting back up Tim smiled unsure. What was he suppose to do? Urge his "friend" on to pursue a relationship with his double, thereby sending a whole mess of complications Dick's way, or warn him off his hopeless crush now, sending the distraught teen further into the depression he'd been exhibiting all morning. The logical answer was simple. However, with his companion sitting there, slouching miserably on a worn couch from across the room, looking totally vulnerable, he just couldn't bring himself to be logical.

"You have two options," Tim began, deciding to take a neutral stance and play the fence. He chose his next words very carefully. "You could take a chance and risk a relationship with Dick or you could just take the safe way out and let this crush pass before you get hurt."

"I'm hurting already," Wally replied, looking down sadly. Suddenly, he looked up. "What would you do?"

Tim bit his lip. Man, there was really no way to be neutral about this now.

"I… I would take the chance," he answered honestly.

Wally looked up at him, surprised.

"I-I mean," he stammered, "I wouldn't walk away from someone like just because of who they are. Especially considering I'm a vigilante in my free time. How can I expect to experience any kind of err… romance… if I give up so easily? Being Robin is tough enough on my social life, so I might as well put myself out there." Tim shrugged awkwardly then looked up at Wally, who just stared back with wide eyes. Slowly, the boy responded.

"I- Y-Yeah." Wally said, gaining confidence. "You're right! I should totally see this through!" Standing up quickly, he shot Tim one of his signature smirks before speeding out the door, letting out an enthusiastic "You're the best, man!" before he went.

Tim smiled at his retreating friend, holding a supportive expression for as long as he could before slamming his hand to his head. Dick was so gonna kick his ass if he ever found out about this conversation.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

An hour after the talk was over, Tim was headed over to the training room, thinking he was done with playing team counselor for the day. Apparently, though, the Fates were aligned against him, as immediately upon entering the space, he was greeted with the sight of one furious Superboy throwing an array of dumbbells through a wall.

This day just kept getting better and better.

Hesitantly, he approached the teen, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Superboy looked up, a hard glare stuck to his face, but quickly resumed trying to rid the room of its equipment through the newly created hole in the mountain's side. Inwardly sighing, Tim spoke up.

"So. What's wrong with you?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, as the Robin substitute suddenly found a fifty pound weight being chucked at his head. Superboy let loose a feral growl before once again resuming his actions. Narrowing his eyes, let out a soft huff before walking over and placing his hands on Superboy's arms, trying to halt his movements.

"Let. Go." the clone rumbled, voice low and glaring at the Boy Wonder.

Looking up at his taller counterpart, Tim stood his ground. "Not until you tell me what's wrong," he stated firmly.

Superboy growled, and made to shake off his grip, but the boy did not relent. Frustrated and angry, the clone snapped. He let loose a roar and sent a nasty right hook towards Tim.

Tim nimbly dodged the blow, stepping back, before raising his gaze to Superboy's face. Tinted glasses met enraged eyes briefly before Tim sighed, then leapt into the air, flipping over the other boy's head while simultaneously grabbing the meta's shoulders and using the momentum from his aerial maneuver to flip Superboy over, onto his back. Surprised by the sudden retaliation, Superboy stared up from his position, flat on the floor beneath Tim. Crossing his arms stubbornly, Tim sat himself down on his chest, he message clear. _They were going to talk._

Though he could easily toss the boy off him if he wished, Superboy just huffed and turned his face away from the boy resting above his ribcage. Tim, however, would not be ignored as he continued to stare at the boy, unblinking even through his sunglasses. Finally, after an eternity of silence, the clone spoke up.

"The Justice League finished analyzing the data they got from the last mission."

Nodding silently, Tim waited for him to continue.

"They… Found out that I'm half human… And identified my other DNA donor."

At that, Tim raised an eyebrow questioningly. Today seemed to be full of surprises. Scowling, Superboy continued.

"It's Lex Luthor."

For the second time that day, Tim's jaw dropped.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Superboy was mad. He was frustrated, he was enraged, and he was… a little scared. Though he'd never admit it. All he could think about at the moment were the looks the League had given him upon receiving the news that he was, in part, a biological duplicate of Lex Luthor. Most of the looks had been of pity, others of disgust. However, the look that struck him most was that of Superman. His face had been hard and blank, an image of stoicism. But his eyes betrayed his mask of indifference. They were cold with fury and seemed to pierce right through him. If the Man of Steel had ever disliked him before, he surely hated him now.

Superboy couldn't take that.

He fled the room.

Shortly after, Superboy was smashing things. He had wandered into the training room, intending to let off some steam by training, but he'd just received earth-shattering news. So he decided to smash the Earth back.

Plus, those dumbbells sitting in the corner? They were seriously starting to piss him off.

He had only been halfway through ridding the mountain of the aggravating pieces of exercise equipment, when the Robin-that-wasn't-Robin arrived. And somehow, moments later, he had ended up on his back with the Boy Wonder perched on top of him. _Oh god, why did this day suck so much?_

"Superboy," Robin said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Superboy, it's okay. I-"

"DON'T YOU DARE PITY ME!" the meta burst out, the rage inside him exploding. Being looked down upon by the League was bad enough, he didn't need his teammates doing it too.

Robin paused, looking at him strangely, analytically, before continuing slowly. "I wasn't going to, Supes. Just wanted to say that it's not so bad."

Superboy shot him his coldest glare. Robin sped up his speech, a bit unnerved by the fuming boy beneath him. The boy that could probably crush him with his thumb if he was angry enough.

"Anyway, I just want to say I've met worse," he blurted. Now it was Superboy's turn to pause. What could be the worse than being the test tube bastard child of two of the world's greatest archrivals?

Apparently, his reaction voiced his thoughts, as Robin let out a small chuckle.

"I'm serious! I have! And I'm not even talking about psychos like Joker or Mr. Freeze. Though those guys _are_ pretty bad."

Superboy didn't respond, still caught up in the disbelief that Robin knew someone is a worse position that he was. Seeing his skepticism, the Boy Wonder paused, looking a little hesitant before continuing.

"Look, I'm probably not supposed to be telling you this – actually scratch that, I'm definitely not supposed to be telling you this – but I will anyway. Before the rational part of my mind convinces me otherwise. Though you have to calm down first, alright?"

Superboy just nodded. Smiling, Robin scooted off his friend to sit beside him, pulling the clone up into a similar position before placing his hands over the other boy's. Superboy briefly glanced down at the unexpected contact, suddenly feeling a bit warm, but ignored it in favor of turning his attention towards what the Boy Wonder was saying.

"Back in Gotham," Robin began, avoiding his counterpart's gaze. "I know a guy. He has a kinda messed up lineage, just like you. His grandfather is a demon." At this, Superboy sent him a look. Robin looked a bit sheepish before amending, "Well, ok, not an actually horns and tails demon, though he is an international terrorist that heads one of the most dangerous organizations in the world." Superboy was placated.

"Anyway, the guy is a major ass, and I really don't like him much. He's dangerous and has been killing people since before he learned to walk. We disagree on a lot of things and have even come to blows a few times. But even though he's stubborn, spoiled, untrustworthy, and a huge prick most of the times, I-"

"Where is this going?" Superboy interrupted, impatient. "So the guy has a Lex Luthor wannabe as a grandpa, Superman's not his dad."

At this, Robin only grinned.

"No. But it's important you know that even though I may hate his guts, I know he has the potential to be a decent guy. Just like you, Superboy, minus the hating part," he said smiling softly. Superboy squirmed. _That made him feel weird inside…_

"Besides," he continued as he got up to leave, the conversation seemingly over. "_His dad_ is **Batman.**"

With that, Robin left the room, leaving a gaping Superboy in his wake.

Xxx

_**A/N: SORRY AGAIN FOR THE LONG WAIT, BUT I REWROTE THIS CHAPTER LIKE 8 TIMES BEFORE POSTING IT! Actually, I still don't think this is ready, so again excuse any spelling/grammar error I made and pardon all clichés and awkward sentences. I really wanted to post it so no one thought I abandoned the story.**_

_**Also, what do you think of the Damian insert? I don't plan on him making an appearance anytime soon, but I feel that he and Superboy have just SO MANY SIMILARITIES! Btw, I think Superboy being half Luthor is canon; it was in Smallville, but we all know that show rapes the comics worse than fanfiction.**_

_**Also, though I don't plan Damian making a cameo at the moment, I do plan on a little Barbara Gordon and Jason Todd. Todd is a definite, as I've already referenced Tim as the third Robin. So there. But don't worry, I don't plan on there being an excessive amount of characters appearing all at once. They'll probably appear for only one chapter before disappearing forever in my mind.**_

_**Please comment if you found this confusing! Or if you found it interesting. Especially if you found it interesting. Please?**_

REVIEWWWWWWW!


	4. Interlude: A Tale of Two Robins

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. I will not be held accountable for exploding eyeball or raging mind f*cks resulting from the reading of this fic. This is AU – meaning alternate universe – but only slightly so. Oh and this is SLASH, MEANING _**GAY**_! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Otherwise, enjoy! And beware my slight potty mouth.

**Pairing:** EVENTUAL DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake

**A/N:** HERE BEGINS MY CANON RAPE! Beware! Also, this is an interlude chapter, designed to tell a bit more about the pasts of the Robins in my story and to clear up any confusing regarding ages of characters and explain a bit more about how there came to be multiple Boy Wonders at one time. Oh and there is a bit of Jason bashing, 'cause DC wikia did not paint him as a very positive character in my mind. Sorry if you're a fan and it's really nothing personal regarding the character!

**To the Reviewers:**

Hey, I updated quickly! Though… This chapter is really not slash at all. It's a Dick and Tim friendship chapter, thus why I labeled it an interlude. It should, hopefully, provide more of a background on the AU I've created for my fic. I only intended to write a shortie for this, but it ended up growing… and growing… and growing… in italics! Sorry about that, but most of this chapter is in flashback! BEWARE!

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Ages note: Before the Infinity Crisis of the DC Series, Dick Grayson started out as Robin when he was 8 years old. Young Justice currently had him at age 13, with him being the most experienced team member. Tim is going to be roughly the same age, maybe a few months younger, while Jason.

Damian Wayne – Damian Wayne's maternal grandfather is Ra's al Ghul, a terrorist and head of the League of Assassins. Genetically perfected and grown in an artificial womb, he is the "son" of Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. Because of his maternal heritage, he's been trained by the League of Assassins since birth, becoming a talented martial artist by the time he was a preteen. Personality wise, he is "precocious, selfish, and violent," (according to DC wikia). If or when he appears in my story, he's obviously going to be the youngest of the Robins, though his age is not set.

Tim Drake – Apparently his father was one of Gotham's most successful businessmen.

Jason Todd – The rogue Robin, he was arrogant and violent, eventually getting killed by the Joker. However, later in the comics, he was revived, going on to become an anti-hero like character known as The Red Hood. Not very popular with the rest of the Robins, he's taking crime fighting down a bloody path, murdering the criminals he captures. It's because of his darker attitude and past that I decide to write Jason in as older then Dick and Tim, as he will appear as a more antagonistic character later in the story. Prior to the Infinity Crisis, Jason Todd's history was much like Grayson's in that he was the son of a circus family; post-crisis, though, he was a homeless kid on the streets that took up the Robin mantle after helping Batman take down a gang of thieves. His appearance also changed as pre-crisis he had red hair, while post crisis he had black. For this story, Todd will be a mix of pre and post, with post-crisis history and pre-crisis appearance. Just because having three Raven haired Robins is waaaaaaay too much.

**Gemini: Interlude 1**

Immediately following his confrontation with Superboy, Tim rushed to his room, his head filled with anxiety. Talking with the Kryptonian teen, he'd made a grave mistake.

He'd gotten involved.

Comforting Superboy had been nothing like comforting Wally. Talking to the speedster had been difficult, yes, especially concerning the… sensitive… subject matter, but at least he knew how to act, for the most part. He had thoroughly reviewed Wally's personality profile and had the added benefit of questioning Dick on anything and everything he'd need to know about the young speedster prior to beginning his mission as a Robin replacement. But with Superboy things were different.

Superboy was a risk. The clone had been freed from Cadmus only four months ago. There was little data on his personality besides that he was quiet and liked to watch static on the television. Tim didn't know how to act around him and had to improvise, which in retrospect would be troublesome for when Dick resumed his place on the team.

Tim knew that Dick usually spent his free time at the mountain with Wally or Aqualad and that Superboy was usually found in the company of Megan – during which the latter was usually flitting around and subtly trying to flirt with the oblivious boy. This meant that his interaction with the young Kryptonian was totally unscripted since Dick's previous experiences with the clone were minimal at best. Any actions he took around him would be completely his own.

This was bad. Acting on his own would get him attached and if he'd learned anything from his time partnered with the Batman, it was that attachment was not something to bring to the team, his workplace. Just look at what happened to Bruce after _Jason_. Tim shivered at the name, but then stopped himself. It was partly because of him that Tim had become Robin in the first place anyhow.

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_It had all began at the circus, the night the Flying Graysons had been reduced to only Dick. Tim had been there with his mom and dad, bursting with the excitement typical of any energetic eight years old. However the real reason behind his enthusiasm was curiosity. The young Drake had always been an intellectual, always wanting to figure things out. And the Graysons? They were a mystery he'd been itching to scratch, as their youngest member was one of the few people in the world who could pull off a quadruple somersault. The physics behind that had him quaking in anticipation for the show to start…_

_But all that had changed with a single snap of a wire. The two elder Graysons had died. Dick was the only one left._

_It was later discovered that the tragedy at the circus had been orchestrated by a man by the name of "Boss" Tony Zucco, who had sabotaged the act after the late performers refused his demands for extortion money. Tim was horrified at the revelation. Zucco's actions had ruined the life of a child. However, much to Tim's embarrassment, the memories of Dick Grayson and what had occurred that night were quickly forgotten by his young mind. That is, until a few years later, when he caught sight of a video depicting the infamous Batman and his young sidekick, Robin, attempting to apprehend the notorious Penguin…_

_Robin had done a quadruple somersault._

_Obviously, Dick had grown up._

_And if Dick was Robin, Bruce Wayne was obviously the Batman. He'd adopted the young performer soon after the incident, and now that Tim thought about, it made sense that the Dark Knight would be a billionaire. How else would the superhero find the funds to pay for all his fancy Bat junk?_

_Needless to say Tim had been shocked. Then disappointed. He'd just started looking into the identities of Gotham's famed Dynamic Duo, excited to embark upon a new mystery, when the answer to the question on half the city's mind had been plopped down right in front of him!_

_Of course he didn't tell anyone though. He admired the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder. They had done so much good for the city, and revealing their identities would only hinder their efforts to clean up Gotham. So he remained silent._

_Until Robin got shot._

Looking back, Tim let out a short laugh. That time, Joker had been the culprit too. And ironically enough, Dick getting injured was another vital component in Tim's eventual transformation into Robin.

_After Robin was injured, the Dark Knight flew solo for a while, the Boy Wonder falling off the grid. No one knew what had become of him. Rumors even began circulating that he might have died._

_Tim however, knew better. He'd seen Dick around school._

_It was by complete coincidence that he and Grayson both attended Gotham Academy. Apparently rich dads liked to send their kids to the same place._

_That's right. Tim's family had a decent amount of cash too._

_Anyway, the point was that Tim knew Robin wasn't dead. Just walking a little stiffly from the injury he sustained to his shoulder. Initially Tim had deduced that the other boy was simply taking time off from the life of crime fighting to recover. However, after six months had passed and the Boy Wonder had long finished healing, Dick still hadn't returned to his place at Batman's side._

_But it seemed someone else had._

_Two weeks after Tim had predicted Dick to reemerge as a vigilante, a costumed redhead had appeared fighting crime beside the Dark Knight. Donning Dick's costume, he claimed, while calling to the press, to be "the One and Only Robin!" At that, Tim had scoffed. There was no way that was true; after carefully reviewing the newbie's performance against the lowlifes of Gotham, it was obvious Blondie was nothing compared to the original. Acrobatically, he was insufficient; in combat, he was green; in tact... well, it didn't appear that he had any, as he was often seen obnoxiously crashing into crime scenes, rushing into situations without any plan of action. In Tim's eyes, the new Robin was rash, untrained, and overall a poor choice of sidekick._

_Curiosity had begun tugging at Tim's mind at the new development. It was puzzling why Batman would trade Dick in for someone who was so subpar. And what infuriated him most about the whole situation was that no one seemed to have noticed that the new Robin was a different person! The press had merely blown it off as the Boy Wonder trying out a new look, possibly wanting his hair to match his costume. At this, Tim was disgusted. Finally, his curiosity could no longer be contained. He had to get to the bottom of this mystery._

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

_Approaching Dick at lunch, tray of questionable cafeteria food in hand, Tim sat next to the former Boy Wonder, a newspaper tucked under his arm. He observed the kid across from him, who'd been looking tired and drained ever since the Robin wannabe had appeared. Dick paid him no mind, instead continuing to focus on his meal. It was understandable that he'd been ignored. They weren't really friends, only acquaintances that sometimes worked together in Physics class because they were two of the smartest kids in their grade and both found it slightly irritating when others could not keep up with their intellect._

_Casually, he flipped opened his paper, the Gotham Sun, and began to read. To any passing observer, this might seem a little strange, as a ten year old school boy reading the news while he could otherwise be chatting aimlessly with friends was strange enough, but then again, he did go to Gotham Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the city. Propping the newsprint up so that the title page, with lead article, "Batman and Robin Capture Crazed Killer Croc," facing his silent companion, Tim let out an aggravated huff, catching the young Grayson's attention._

"_Is it just me or are all adults complete idiots?" he asked Dick, turning to face the boy._

_Dick just raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What do you mean?"_

_Grinning, Tim threw down his paper and sat back in his seat. "This whole Robin business. Are they that dense that they can't see that whoever has claimed the role of Boy Wonder is a different person?"_

_Dick stiffened minutely._

_Tim continued. "I mean seriously. Have they been paying any attention to the kid's actions lately? I know the guy's been MIA for the last six months or so, but it's so obvious that the imposter's new. The old Robin was a lot more composed than this new guy."_

_At this, Dick was silent for a moment, eyes quickly flashing surprise, before he nodded his head hesitantly in agreement._

"_I thought I was the only one who'd noticed," he said softly. "The… new Robin does seem to get captured by enemies a lot more than the old one."_

_Tim snorted. "Yeah, like five times in the last month. That's more than once a week! The bad guys were lucky to capture the old Robin once in their entire criminal careers, emphasis on the lucky part."_

_Dick laughed. "Right? Whoever's playing Red Replacement just doesn't know what's up!"_

_At this, Tim smiled, but for an entirely different and devious reason. Everything was going according to plan. From the beginning of this conversation, Tim had only one goal in mind. To find out why Robin had quit being Robin and let some imposter take his place._

_This isn't to say Tim was trying to manipulate Dick. Well, he was, but it wasn't anything personal. He liked the other boy well enough, but his curiosity was killing him. And as mentioned before, the two weren't really friends. At least not yet. He was open to the possibility._

_Laughing, Tim replied, "Dude must have fallen on his head while trying to imitate the original's sick aerial flips. It's kind of sad how obvious it is that the guy hasn't had much training."_

_Their conversation continued on like this for a while, with each boy commenting on how inept they thought redhead was. Tim highlighted how graceless and rash the new kid seemed to be, while Dick harped on how arrogant and coarse the guy sounded when addressing the press. From this, Tim founded his companion to be quite sarcastic and humorous, something he'd never have guessed given Dick's usually quiet demeanor._

_Eventually though, their lunch period came to an end. Gathering his tray alongside Dick, the two walked to a nearby trash can to dispose of their garbage. Then Tim got to his point._

_As he and Dick were about to leave the cafeteria and head to their respective next period classes, Tim let loose his last, pivotal remark._

"_Man, it really makes me wonder what Batman was thinking when he set out to replace you, Dick."_

_He just barely caught a glance of the billionaire's son's stunned face as he turned and walked away._

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_That day, after school, Tim found himself being slammed up against a brick wall by one Dick Grayson. Mentally sighing, he wasn't really surprised. He had revealed his knowledge of the boy's secret identity in a real douche-like way. Though maybe Dick could have at least tried to deny being Robin first before resorting to physical violence._

"_How did you know?" Dick growled, voice steely, twisting Tim's arm hard behind his back. He gasped in pain, but tried to remain calm._

"_I figured it out. It really wasn't that hard," he said, a bit smugly._

_Dick twisted his arm harder, but this time Tim retaliated. Slamming himself closer against the bricks, he caused Dick to stumble forward. Caught off guard, the boy didn't have time to react as the other knocked his head back, effectively smashing his skull against the original Boy Wonder's face. Dick recoiled in pain and Tim used the opportunity to wrestle himself free from Grayson's grip, position himself a few feet away, but not fleeing the scene._

_Recovering quickly, Dick took a fighting stance. Tim moved to do the same. Glaring at each other, they boys moved in a slow circle before Dick lunged. Agilely stepping to the side, Tim lashed out as the boy happened upon empty space, delivering a swift kick to the former Robin's back and sending him to the ground. He backed up again, knowing that despite landing a hit, it would not keep the other kid down. Tim wasn't really a fighter, there was no power to his blows._

_Dusting himself off, Dick stood up, setting him with an icy glare. "What are you going to do with that information? What's your angle?"_

_Eying him warily, Tim responded. "Nothing." Grayson raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I just wanted an answer to my question."_

"_And what question would that be?" the boy bit out._

"_Why did you quit being Robin?"_

_Dick paused, shock spreading across his face for a second time that day. "I didn't… It wasn't…" He trailed off. Sighing, Dick visibly deflated, and Tim got a glimpse of how truly tired the boy seemed to be. The redheaded Robin's appearance had obviously taken a toll on him and clearly he'd been having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he'd been replaced. Motioning with his hand toward the streets outside the school, he conceded, "We can talk about this later, just not here. C'mon."_

_Twenty minutes later and Tim and Dick were at Wayne mansion, discussing what he knew. Tim patiently explained everything, from how he deduced Dick's identity to how that translated into discovering Batman's, while Dick listened, nodding throughout the entire conversation. After that, there was a short Q&A period where Dick explained the circumstances behind the new Robin. Apparently, after he was shot by the Joker, Batman had gotten paranoid about losing him and essentially forbid Dick from patrolling Gotham any longer. Deaf to Dick's protests, the Dark Knight had took to protecting the city alone, with the occasional and reluctant aide of Batgirl, a new female vigilante, who despite sharing a similar namesake worked more or less independently as a crime fighter._

_Needless to say Dick felt put out. And these feeling only intensified after __**he**__ appeared. The new Robin._

_Bats had met the boy while Jason Todd, homeless on the streets, was trying to lift the wheels off the Batmobile. He'd taken an interest in the young teen, discretely and without Dick's notice, concerned that he would turn to a life of crime at such an early age. Initially he'd intended to send Jason to a school for troubled youths, but after an incident in which the boy helped the Dark Knight take down a gang of thieves, Batman decided to take matters into his own hands._

_At this, Dick had become enraged and he and Batman had engaged in a long and heated argument about the other boy. Dick just couldn't understand how Bruce could have replaced him so easily. And after citing reasons for his safety too! Confronting the man about this had been fruitless, however, as the Gotham billionaire/crime fighter had simply stated that Jason was older and could take better care of himself._

_Because __**two years**__ made __**such**__ a difference…_

_With Dick's story told, a somber atmosphere settled between the two, uncomfortable and unsure. Thus Tim decided to lighten the mood. They eventually ended up playing video games on a huge flat screen TV in the one of the mansion's various media room, snacking on junk food and laughing their heads off. Tim even got to meet Alfred, who upon seeing the two boys, commented that he "was happy Master Dick was finally making friends." Needless to say, Tim had dissolved into a fit of giggles afterward, only to be silenced by Dick playfully punching him in the arm._

_From then on, Dick and Tim had formed a strong friendship, with Tim making frequent trips to Wayne Manor, as his own globe-trotting, business-obsessed parents were often not around. Dick offered Tim companionship, whereas Tim lent Dick a patient ear whenever being son of the Bat became too much for him. Or when Jason was over. For some reason, the new Robin just didn't like him much and meetings between the two were tense. Plus, the newbie seemed to be short tempered and easily aggravated. Dick came to Tim a lot then, especially after Bruce had decided to take Jason on as his legal ward and the boy moved into the mansion. It was at that time that Tim learned of the former Robin's most colorful vocabulary._

_Things went on like that for a while, the boys growing closer and closer, like brothers or twins, helping each other out when either was angry or upset. And because of their coincidentally similar appearances, the line separating them as people from different families was blurred. Eventually, kids and teachers at school began forgetting they weren't related. Their friendship was beneficial for them both as, through Tim's coaxing, Dick was able to resolve his issues with his adoptive father and even get on better terms with Jason, while Dick convinced Tim to confront his parents about not being involved enough in his life. All seemed to go well for the next few months._

_And then Jason died._

_Essentially, that is. It was the Joker again, that guy really had a knack for attacking young children. He'd beaten the kid into a coma in a warehouse, leaving Batman to find his battered and broken body. The doctors said it was likely he'd never wake up again. Bruce, however, wasn't willing to let the boy go and Jason was currently surviving on life support at Gotham's finest hospital._

_From that day on, Batman had become an embodiment of vengeance. His dealing with criminals became more brutal and destructive, with many of them being turned in to the police with multiple broken bones. The authorities merely shrugged this off, as many of the criminals were metahumans and an excessive use of force would be necessary to subdue them, but both Dick and Tim recognized this as a sign of the Batman's failing mental state. _

_It would only be a matter of time before he killed someone._

_At home, the man had taken to endless nights on patrol, followed by long and grueling days as a businessman, seldom getting two hours of sleep a day. Even Alfred had begun to worry. Bruce was going to end up killing himself if he continued living as he did. Action had to be taken._

_And so Dick and Tim started on a plan save the Batman._

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

_It was a mild April afternoon the day Dick Grayson was kidnapped from school. After an explosion in the science lab where he and Tim were working on an experiment for the Spring science fair, the teachers had discovered the young Drake bound and gagged under a broken window, a note stuck to his forehead with a simple message._

_11:30 Gotham Bay, Warehouse 51 or the boy dies._

_The police were baffled. There were no ransom demands, no specifics, just a note. The security cameras around the school had also been disabled, as well as those on the surrounding building with a view of the academy. They had no leads on what could have possibly happened to the young Grayson._

_Predictably, Bruce had taken to the streets, donning his gear as the Dark Knight, as soon as nightfall descended on Gotham. At the time of the deadline, he arrived in a flurry of black, an embodiment on shadows and darkness, rage emanating off his form. Blowing open the door, expecting to be faced with the Joker, Riddler, or another of his psychotic archenemies, he stopped short at the sight before him._

_In the center of the room, his adopted son was wrapped in chains, a cloth tied around his mouth, with none other than Robin, the original, Dick-Grayson model Boy Wonder, hovering above him._

_At this, the usually unresponsive Batman could not help doing a double-take. Before him stood a ghost from the past, raven- haired and sporting his signature black, yellow, and red costume. He was an impossibility. And he was smirking right at him._

"_Hey Bats! What's u- WOAH!"_

_Bruce had launched himself at the boy, a flurry of fists and kicks. In his mind, Bruce had steeled himself. There had to be an explanation for what was happening. A clone, or a robot, or possibly a shape-shifting alien… With that rational firmly locked in his mind, he threw himself into the fight._

_Surprisingly, the Robin lookalike barely dodged his blows, twisting and turning out of the man's reach. Leaping to the side with a frown, the boy launched himself upward, using a grappling hook to lift himself to a steel girder fifty feet above the ground._

_Mock pouting, the Boy Wonder crossed his arms childishly, "What is it Bruce? Not happy to see me?"_

_Again, the Batman froze, but quickly resumed his assault. Reasoning that his opponent could have had telepathic powers and scanned his identity from Dick's unconscious mind, he threw a flurry of batarangs and began engaging in the fight again. Running across the girders, the imposter dodged the flying projectiles, disappearing into the shadows and letting loose an echoing giggle._

_Growling, Bruce swiveled around, turning every which way in an effort to discover his enemy's location._

"_Seems like the Dark Knight's losing his touch," Robin's voice came to his left. The Batman turned, but it was too late, as the Boy Wonder landed a flying kick to his side. Stumbling back, he recovered only soon enough to see his sidekick disappear into the shadows once again across the room._

"_It's probably because he's running himself ragged from fighting crime alone." Dick's voice came again, this time from above him, accompanied by another kick landing squarely on his upper back. Hopping off the costumed crusader, Robin waved briefly, before shooting another grappling hook and disappearing towards the ceiling once again. His taunting commentary continued, echoing all around the warehouse._

"_Batman needs his partner, otherwise he's going to get himself killed."_

_Shaking his head, Bruce let out a frustrated cry. "No! I do this alone!"_

"_But why? Scared to ask for a little help? 'Cause we both know you need it, Bruce."_

_Enraged, Bruce launched more batarangs toward the source of Robin'c voice. They bounced off hard steel walls and clattered to the ground. "You know why, Dick!"_

_From his place of hiding, the Boy Wonder smirked. Obviously the sleep deprivation was getting to the man. He had stopped denying the possibility the boy he was facing was an imposter, as demonstrated by his calling out his name. That, and he didn't seem to have noticed the bound Dick's disappearance from the center of the room._

"_Is this because of the Jason thing? You know that wasn't your fault. It's a hazard of the job, it happens."_

_Batman let out another angry roar, flinging more weapons, the exploding kind this time._

"_But maybe it was your fault. You picked the kid off the streets and put him in action after what? Six months of training?"_

_More bombs were thrown._

"_It doesn't really matter, though. You're doing an excellent job, taking down all those baddies on your own and all. If I remember correctly, you turned in Penguin with two broken arms, internal bleeding, and a bruised snout?"_

_The Boy Wonder giggled._

"_Pretty soon, there won't be any more criminals roaming the streets. Instead they'll be roaming the halls of the nearest hospital."_

_Out of bombs and batarangs, Bruce moved on to chucking ice pellets. The walls of the warehouse began to groan._

"_Then, the only thing Gotham will have to worry about is you, Bruce."_

_At this, the Dark Knight froze. What?_

"_They'll have to worry about you becoming the thing you fight. A criminal. A menace. __**A murderer**__."_

_Dropping to the floor, exhausted and out of things to throw, Bruce lat out a yell. "I'm not a killer!"_

"_No," Robin agreed, stepping into the light, twenty feet across from the Bat. "Not yet. But Poison Ivy's shattered knee cap and dislocated shoulder don't lie. You're on your way there. Maybe we should deal with you before it comes to that."_

_Looking at his son's masked face, the man gasped in horror, realizing the actions of his recent past._

_Wait, __**we?**_

_Those were his last coherent thoughts before he felt a sharp pain in his neck and fell to the ground, the familiar tingle of tranquilizer racing through his veins. Blinking, he saw a second figure step out of the darkness to his side. He barely registered the warehouse begin to crumble around him, as the form went to stand next to his son, twin birdies looking at him with somber eyes. But then, there was nothing._

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_Bruce awoke in his bed, sitting up sharply as he gasped for breath. Surveying his familiar surroundings, he frowned in confusion, recalling the last events in his memory and the truth in the words of his former partner's apparitions._

_Just then, the door to his room opened and none other than Dick Grayson walked in. Bruce's jaw dropped, but before he could voice his puzzlement at his appearance, Dick spoke up._

"_So did you get the message?" he asked, face grim with a seriousness unlike any Bruce had seen since the death of his parents._

_Pausing for a moment, Bruce nodded slowly, though still confused, before trying to lighten the mood with a small smirk. "Loud and clear. Someone's worried about his mentor."_

"_This is no laughing matter, Bruce," Dick snapped in reply, silencing him with a Bat-worthy glare. "You can't take on Gotham's entire criminal underworld on your own! You need help. You need to let me come back as your Robin!"_

_At this, Bruce frowned, already starting to shake his head. "But the danger-"_

"_Is something I can handle," Dick cut him off. "So are you going to let me return willingly, or am I going to have to go about learning to make my own bat-gear? I'm sure I could always go ask Barbara for some tips…"_

_At this, Bruce held up his hand, slowly conceding and recognizing the battle was lost._

"_There's no need. I… think we can work things out."_

_Instantly, Dick beamed. Smiling brightly, he went to sit next to his adoptive dad and gave him a brief hug. "Good, now get some rest." With another flash of teeth, he turned to leave._

_Only to be stopped by Bruce's voice. "Dick?" his guardian asked. "What did you mean by 'we' when we were in the warehouse?"_

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Tim smiled fondly at the memories. After that, Dick had had to awkwardly introduce Tim to his dad and explain to Bruce that no, he did not tell him his secret identity, the boy had figured it out himself. Bruce had been impressed, praising Tim for his detective skill before grilling them both about how they pulled off their stunt. It wasn't everyday that someone pulled one over on the Bat.

The explanation was actually pretty simple. After Tim had befriended Dick, the two had started doing everything together. That included working out. Dick had retained hope that one day, Bruce would let him rejoin the vigilante world, maybe not as Robin, but as his own man. Because of this, he'd taken to staying in shape, regularly exercising, and bringing Tim along with him. Through this, Tim had learned various acrobatic tricks as well as picked up Dick's fighting style though regular sparring matches, gaining a makeshift understanding of both martial arts and gymnastics. By the time the two had gotten around to enacting their plan, he'd already been in prime physical condition, enabling him to effectively imitate Robin and fight the Bat.

Though, Bruce's sleep deprivation and exhaustion may have served as a welcome handicap.

Following the revelation, Dick had been reinstated as Robin, though Tim had decided to hang up his tights, at least for the time being. Bruce had taken well to his and Dick's friendship, realizing his son's need for a confidant, and making sure that despite his vigilante activities, they both still had time to spend time with each other. He even went as far to send for expert martial arts instructors to come to the manor and train the boys together, providing an excuse to keep them both interacting, even though they would have done so anyway. Secretly, though, he thought this to be necessity for Tim. Knowing both the identity of himself and Robin put him at risk and he needed to be prepared. He even gave him his own utility belt. Tim easily saw through the ruse.

And thus, his unofficial training as the next Boy Wonder began.

It was only natural that when the original Robin decided to join the secret and very much covert team of Young Justice three years later, Tim became the logical replacement to keep reporters and criminals alike from wondering where the infamous birdie had gone.

A sudden knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.

"Robin?" came the hesitant voice of Miss Martian. "Kaldur ordered pizza for lunch and it just arrived. It's going to be in the main dining room if you want any."

Blinking surprised and casting a glance at his bedside alarm clock, Tim was startled to find it was already half past noon. Wow, time had really gotten away from him.

"Sure Megan, I'll be down in a few!" he called to his friend before standing up off his bed and stretching his stiff muscles. He still didn't know what to do about the whole Superboy situation, but he was calmer now, anxiety gone. It could wait until after lunch.

Walking towards his door, with images of extra cheese dancing through his head, Tim smiled. He'd pulled off substituting for Dick before, he could surely pull it off one more time.

Xxx

A/N: Wow, that was waaaaaaaay longer than I expected. This is what I do instead of finishing my school work? Gaaah, I'm so frustrating! Anyway, I tried to insert as many instances of canon into this chapter as possible, as I really couldn't screw up their entire back story. Also, I hope that cleared up any issues about ages and timing. Dick and Tim are still 13, as Robin would be in the Canon TV Young Justice Storyline, and Jason would be 15, 2 years older. Damian is not in the fic yet, so his age has not been assigned, though will be at least 8 in order for last chapter's reference to make sense.

Sooooo…. Like it? Hate it? Review it? Please? This took my entire Saturday to write, and a little of Sunday morning, so I'd appreciate feedback… Though no serious flames, please, as like a Martian, fire scares me. Also, I apologize again for the Jason bashing! I am a fan-by-proxy, totally ignorant of DC besides what I've read online.

_**CLICK THE BUTTON! 5799 WORDS, YO!**_

_**Review!**_


	5. In Which Tim is Badass

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mineThis is AU – meaning alternate universe and SLASH, MEANING _**GAY**_! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Otherwise, enjoy! Some language…

**Pairing:** DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake

**A/N:** I don't know if it's just me, but am I writing Tim a bit too manipulative? HERE IS MY ATTEMPT AT GIVING CONNER HIS NAME! Well, at least his first name. Btw, I wanna get right into Tim using the nickname Kon, but feel it'd be a pain to write in why it begins with a K instead of a C, so just go with it? Plus, the way I have it written, it wouldn't make sense anyway… Sorry about that. Oh, and Tim is gonna develop an attitude later down in this chapter. OOC? I hope not, but…

**To the Reviewers:**

**Background Info: (What I got from DC Wikia)**

Lois Lane – Love interest of Superman and Clark Kent, she's a world famous Daily Planet reporter. Initially, she doesn't realize that Superman and Clark are the same person, but after their marriage the secret is revealed. Apparently, Lois and Clark's romance is one of the strongest in comics. For the purposes of this story, Lois will not yet know Clark's identity.

Mountain Layout – I'm not sure but I think in the TV series, the place where the team teleports in in connected to a big main room where all these holographic screens come up and Batman or other league members brief Young Justice on their missions.

Clark Kent – Superman. His adoptive Earth parents are Jonathan and Martha Kent.

**Gemini: Chapter 5**

Lois Lane was having a busy day. Rush hour traffic had delayed her getting to the Daily Planet and just as she arrived, Perry had shooed her away, assigning her to cover a developing story downtown where Superman was fighting against cybernetic madman, Metallo. Currently she was at her desk in the bullpen, typing out her story and craving a cup of coffee. Where was Clark when she needed him?

Sighing, she stood up. Guess she'd have to find a cup on her own. Dashing across the street to the local coffee shop – because whatever they were serving in the break room just didn't cut it for a star reporter such as herself – Lois was on her way back to the Planet when – Oooff! She knocked into, of all things, a middle schooler, sending the kid, whose arms were loaded with a clipboard and a stack of papers, sprawling to the ground.

"Geeze kid, watch where you're going," Lois said, grimacing as she knelt to help the teen up.

Not looking up, the boy apologized quickly, scrambling to recover his fallen papers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to –Oh my god, you're Lois Lane!"

Startled, the woman looked at him curiously. Normally being recognized on the streets wouldn't be much of a surprise for the Metropolis reporter. Although her picture didn't appear in the paper as often as she'd liked, her work was often the featured cover story of the Daily planet, especially when she was writing new about the infamous Man of Steel. However, the teen before her was younger age than her typical fan base, which usually included those at last as old as a college freshman.

"You know me?" she asked, intrigued.

The boy before her blinked before smiling brightly and gushing an excited response. "Of course I do! You're, like, the greatest newswoman in history! I'm honored to meet you, my name's Tim!" sputtered the boy, before blushing lightly, embarrassed at his enthusiasm.

Giving him a smile of her own, Lois grabbed one of the kid's papers that had unceremoniously found its way beneath the heel of her left shoe. "The pleasure's all mine," she replied, handing the page over to him, but not before quickly scanning the title across its front.

"Baby names of the 21st century?" she asked incredulously. "What's a kid like you doing with something like this?"

Tim groaned, at this. "Nothing you'd probably be interested in," he said, casting his eyes down to the ground. "My journalism teacher assigned my class to write an article based on a survey we'd each have to conduct on our own. _I _wanted to do a piece on which superhero was would win in a fight, Batman or Superman, but she said that the topic was too immature and gave me this instead."

He sighed. "Now I'm stuck looking for pregnant people on the streets, asking whether Carla or Bethany is a better name for their baby girl. Because that's _so_ much more of an adult topic and something the _three_ kids that read our middle school newspaper are going to be interested in," he said, voice full of frustration and dripping with sarcasm. He looked down, avoiding Lois' eyes out of embarrassment.

Lois looked upon the boy with sympathy. She understood the plight of a struggling young reporter being forced to write stories about topics they didn't give a crap about. And baby names? Seriously? Maybe the kid's teacher just didn't like him because that topic was just cruel.

Crouching down to meet the boy's eyes, she gave him a small smile. "Hey, following your teachers instructions can be a real drag, I get it. Can't say it gets any better when you're in high school or college either." Tim looked up at her with reluctant eyes. "But even if you don't like it, sometimes this is the type of thing you've got to do before hitting the big leagues." She paused, "You do want to be a reporter, right?"

At this, Tim beamed at her, nodding enthusiastically, "I wanna work at the Planet just like you!"

Lois grinned. "Well, just try to deal with it for now okay and who knows? Pretty soon you'll be able to write about whatever you want." Returning to her full height, she watched as the boy considered her words. Satisfied at delivering an inspirational speech and feeling she'd filled her moral quota for the day, she turned, waving the boy goodbye and shooting him a "Good luck, kid!" before heading off back to work. However, she was stopped when the boy caught up to her, tugging at her hand.

"Could I ask you a favor, Ms. Lane?" he questioned, hope in his voice and shining in his eyes.

Blinking, she nodded, replying with a "Depends on what the favor is, Tim," and a "Call me Lois."

Beaming again, Tim looked overjoyed. "Would you answer my survey, Lois? What would you name your child if you had a girl or boy?"

The question came at Lois as a shock. She wanted to help the kid with his article, but honestly had never thought about the subject. For crying out loud, she was still in the dating phase with office nerd, Clark Kent! Squirming, she was about to decline Tim's request, but stopped as she caught another glace at the hopeful expression spread across the young teen's face.

"Uhhh… err…" she began, stalling for time. "Well… I kind of always liked the idea of having a boy. Never could imagine raising a girl, so I can only answer half your question." Tim nodded enthusiastically, eagerly awaiting her reply. Inwardly, she sighed. "Uhm, maybe Conner? I was friends with a Conner when I was living on a military base as a kid and always thought the name sounded cool," she said truthfully, though thoroughly uncomfortable.

Tim looked thoughtful for a second, before jotting the name down on his paper and mumbling appraisingly under his breath. Beaming –and wow, that boy seemed to do that a lot – he quickly thanked her before rushing down the streets, probably off to ask more people the awkward question.

_Well that was weird._ Sighing, Lois turned to leave, heading back into the fray of the world of modern journalism.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

When Tim returned to Mount Justice, he was grinning from ear to ear. All was going according to plan. Now all that needed to be done was find Superboy and get him in a room with Superman.

After he'd finished dining on a satisfying lunch of pizza that afternoon (satisfying because Kid Flash was apparently off base and NOT sucking all the food into the bottomless pit of his stomach), the current Boy Wonder had decided to tackle his Superboy issue head on. Resolved that, as he'd already gotten himself involved by creating Robin-Supes interaction, Tim decided he might as well go all out and make their relationship all his own. He could use a friend while on base, one he didn't need to be strictly Dick around, someone with which he could drop the charade.

And what better way to kick start a friendship than to help deal with the other's problems? It had worked with him and Dick, right?

From the original Boy Wonder, Tim had heard all about Superboy's relationship with Superman, but had thought little of it. Until, of course the conversation he and the clone had had earlier that day. It was apparent the clone had been hurting emotionally, and considering he was literally only about 16 weeks old and just out of his Cadmus-brand test tube, confused and alone, the Man of Steel's actions toward him were unacceptable. So Tim took it upon him to try resolving the meta's issues with his deadbeat dad. Father issues, Tim could understand.

But of course, he'd need to do a little research before going into action. A proper battle was always fought by those properly informed. And so, not twenty minutes after finishing his last slice of pizza, Tim found himself hacking into the Mountain's mainframe checking security footage of the room Superboy had spoken to the League in via video conference. What he saw stunned him.

The camera's angle wasn't very good, nor was the video quality, but luckily enough, Tim was able to get a view of both Kryptonians' faces as the revelation went down. There wasn't any sound, as the mountain's security wasn't yet totally up to date, but he didn't need audio to see how broken Superboy was he received the news and fled the room. It broke his heart. However, he didn't dwell on the feeling, quickly catching a glance of the stony face of the Man of Steel, who looked at the boy with disgust. This enraged Tim. How could a father of any kind act so cold to someone who was so young, so innocent?

It was then that Tim decided not only to help his Kryptonian friend, but knock Superman down a peg as well. This eventually led him to his faithful encounter with Lois Lane. From there, things had quickly fallen into place.

As Tim stepped away from the base's teleporter, he saw the young clone passing through a hallway across the room. Perfect.

"Superboy!" Tim called waving, as he walked toward his friend-to-be, "Hey, I've got something to tell you!" Superboy paused, turning before stepping up to meet him, a confused scowl set across his face. And _Damn_, thought Tim, he really needed to teach the boy that a frown wasn't the only way to express your emotions.

Just then, the large holographic screens of the mountain's main room flickered to life, revealing the Last Son of Krypton himself, looking awkward and apprehensive. Tim blinked. _Okaaay_, that was unexpected. He hadn't planned far enough ahead to arrange a meeting between the two Superdudes just yet. But he could improvise.

Plastering on a shit-eating grin, fake in every possible way, Tim greeted the Man of Steel cheerfully. "Hey what's up Superman! You're just in time, I was about to tell Supey Jr. here something important." That said, Tim motioned to the clone, who was staring stock still up at the man on the screen. Slinging his arm around his friend in an excessively excited manner, but hopefully also one that was comforting, he realized for the first time how nervous the clone got whenever in front of his genetic donor.

"Oh? And what would that be, Robin?" Superman asked after getting over the initial shock he received upon witnessing the boy's obviously suspicious behavior. Tim didn't blame him. At the moment, he was acting as if he'd just caught a dose of Joker Gas. However, seemingly grateful for a distraction away from his clone, he gave Tim, still clad in his civvies, his full attention. This did not go unnoticed by the Boy Wonder in disguise, and he rolled his eyes from beneath his dark shades.

"I've decided on giving Superboy a name!"

At this, said boy snapped out of his daze staring the his Kryptonian "father" and whipping his head to the side to shoot Tim a look. Tim's grin grew wider.

"It's going to be Conner!"

The announcement was met with silence, unbroken until Superman uncomfortably cleared his throat some minutes later.

"Conner?" he said uncertainly, eyes darting toward Superboy, who was back to standing stock still. "Erm… That's a nice name… Uhhh… What made you choose it?"

Here, Tim's smirk grew devious. This was where the real meat of his plan began. "Well," he said, trailing off, "I ran into this reporter today while wandering through Metropolis…" Superman's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Tim waved him off. "Don't ask why I was there, Batman had me running an errand... Anyway, Lois Lane? You know her right?"

Suspicion morphed into puzzlement on the Man of Steel's face, only to quickly be replaced by barely concealed anger. Again Tim's smile grew. It was beginning to hurt his face. He just continued to talk.

"I'd been thinking about giving Supey here a name for a while and desperately needed an opinion. Imagine my surprise when I bumped into Lois, walking on the streets. And so, I thought to myself, now Robin, who better to give an opinion than a world famous reporter? So I asked her, pretty much point blank, what she would name her son if she had one." Tim's grin was back to shit-eating, so big that it could put an industrial grade super-toilet to shame. "She recommended 'Conner' to me. What do you think, Supey?" He turned to his friend, beaming supportively, letting the devilish aspect of his smile slip for just a second to assess his reation. The clone just stared back, eyes wide, before nodding minutely. Tim laughed, "I'll take that as a you liking it."

Superman, however, was not pleased. In his eyes, stooping to his personal life and using his girlfriend against him was a low blow. Growling, he turned to the only meta in the room and asked in a low voice, "Superboy, would you please give me and Robin a moment alone?"

Obviously still in shock, the teen shook his head in affirmation and quickly fled the room. As soon as he was gone, Superman took a breath, preparing to unleash a super-scolding on the young Boy Wonder.

He didn't expect to be beat to the punch line.

With the two of them alone, Robin's entire demeanor changed. Gone was his falsely cheerful attitude, replaced by a simmering anger that could rival the Bat himself.

"What do you think you've been doing?" the teen seethed at the image on the screen. Superman blinked. What?

"Me?" he retorted. "You're the one who-"

Robin cut him off. "_**Shut up**_," he hissed, "This is not about me." The alien was effectively silence, shock from the outburst and thoroughly thrown off guard.

"_You_," the Boy Wonder said, pointing his finger at the hero before him and spitting out the word as if it just dealt him a grave offense. "_You_ have had an entire _four months_ to wrap your mind around the fact that you now have a _son_," he accused. "I've been waiting for you to step up to the plate and take some responsibility, but now, I'm just running out of patience."

"He's not my son," Superman retorted quickly, eyes narrowing, "And it's not your place to deci-"

Again, Robin interrupted him. "Did I say you could speak?" he asked harshly, indignation apparent in is voice. The Man of Steel gaped at his attitude. "No, _**I did not**_. Now listen here, Superbitch, and keep your trap shut, because you've lost any and all right to defend yourself after a quarter year playing pussy."

"I know you don't know quite how to handle being an unexpected father, but you better step up your game or else I'm going to have to intervene," Robin hissed, shooting him a glare. "It's usually not my style to issue threats, but that boy," he pointed in the direction in which the clone had left, "He needs your help!"

Superman scowled. "You don't understand, I'm doing what's best for him. I-"

"You think that leaving him alone, without any guidance whatsoever, is what's best for him?" the Boy Wonder laughed sarcastically, acidly. "You're head must be denser than I thought if you see any truth in that."

Once again, Superman was stunned speechless. Robin continued.

"And don't even give me any of that shit about how you don't want him to live in your shadow. That boy would gladly _**become**_ your shadow if it meant you'd just pay attention to him!"

The Man of Steel gaped. Unfortunately for him, Robin's tirade as not over.

"I know that Bruce approached you about this before, Clark," he snapped, leveling him with his gaze. "And I also know that you brushed him off, Mr. "I'll-take-that-pie-to-go," and that he hasn't approached you again since. That's probably because he's your friend and mature enough to realize that you're having trouble coping. But…" Tim took a breath, "Guess what? I'm thirteen and neither your friend, nor mature. I'm not gonna act nearly as valiant as he did."

Finally finding his voice, Clark tried to muster a response. "This is none of your concern," he growled, his own anger creeping into his voice.

"If it '_concerns'_ Conner, it might as well be," Tim replied, acidly. "I'm gonna take care of my friends by whatever means necessary." He paused. "But then again, helping a 16 month old clone is a lot of work for someone as young as myself." His smirk returned. "Maybe I could enlist the help of Mr. and Mrs. Kent? Your parents? I'm sure that they'd be more than willing."

By this time, Superman's jaw had hit the floor. "You wouldn't…"

Tim smiled. "Oh yes, I would. Because Clark, right now you have a pretty pissed little birdie perched upon your shoulder, and we wouldn't want you to get crap all over that spiffy spandex suit of yours, now would we?"

Having said all he intended, the Boy Wonder turned and left the room, not giving Clark a chance to respond. One he was alone, the Man of Steel let out a sigh.

He really did have to hand it to Bruce. He knew how to raise one badass sidekick.

"Oh, and one last thing," Robin said peeking his head out from the hall and causing the man to jump. "Try thinking up a Kryptonian name for Conner, okay? If he's gonna get a name, might as well go the whole nine yards and give him one from his home planet too." Flashing the alien one last smirk, Tim grinned. "Have it to me by next Friday, Superman, or we're going to have issues."

Clark blinked, as once again he was left alone, speechless, a floating face on the Mountain's holographic monitors.

Yup, that kid was definitely badass.

Xxx

A/N: Woah! What's with another long chapter? I'm gonna get cramps in my hand from all this writing. But I couln't help it! The plot bunny that was this story leveled up and evolved into a plot DINOSAUR! Anyway, do you think Tim acted too OOC? I was trying to go for a righteous fury type thing at the end, but, oh well. I guess I just kind of imagined Tim as fiercely protective. Also, how do you think I handled the naming of Conner Kent? Original enough for you? Ok, I'll be serious, I might have jumped the gun a bit. Was this too over the top for you? DROP A REVIEW AND TELL ME!

By the way, I'm planning on writing a RoyHarperxJasonTodd spinoff to this story, though it'll probably be rated M. What do you think? Also, I should have the next chapter of this story up by Wednesday, but if you want updates on my progress, check out my profile!

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	6. Dick's Harem

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. I will not be held accountable for exploding eyeball or raging mind f*cks resulting from the reading of this fic. This is AU – meaning alternate universe – but only slightly so. Oh and this is SLASH, MEANING GAY! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Slight language.

**Pairing:** DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake

A/N: The next two chapters are going to be more f the friendship/family/fluff genre than slash, paving the way for a story arc I'll be attempting. Bear with me if they bore you, but I promise that they're necessary! Oh and sorry for the long background section this time!

**To the Reviewers:**

Thanks so much for the feedback! Seriously, each and every review you left warmed my itty bitty teen heart! Anyway, as an update for the story in general, I've finished planning out the plot, having gotten things from start to end down and geeze, this thing is turning out longer that I expected. Anyway,I look forward to any future feedback you may offer, so please don't hesitate to drop a comment or two!

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Barbara Gordon – The Original* Batgirl, and niece of Gotham's Police Commissioner, she is gifted with a photographic memory, genius level intelligence, and Olympic gymnast abilities, as well as is a martial arts master. She is eventually shot and paralyzed by the Joker and forced to retire as an "active" superhero, however goes on to become "Oracle," focusing on using her intellect to assist various heroes, such as the Batman. As Oracle, she becomes leader of a group known as the Birds of Prey, an all female team of superhero agents. In the continuity of this story, Barbara is around eighteen, a year before she would be paralyzed… but seeing I have some beef with that she can still walk. I'm taking her storyline down a different route as, in the canon, Barbara basically eased off being a vigilante prior to being paralyzed, practically retiring as an "active" hero. In this universe, I'm going with her continuing down that road, passing the cowl to the next Batgirl in favor of taking the slightly more passive role as Oracle.

Cassandra Cain – The second Batgirl, she is the daughter of David Cain, one of the world's premiere assassins. She was trained since birth to fight, which led to her not being able to speak, read, or write, instead communicating through observing a person's body language, which in turn, furthered her martial arts skills. Her first kill was when she was eight years old, but she was horrified by the act, abandoning that life because of the terror and fear she read in her victim's body language before he died. She works as Batgirl in an effort to repent for her biological father's sins, but sees Batman as her true father figure and is eventually adopted by Bruce Wayne. In this story, she will be a sisterly figure to Dick, aged around 17, younger than Barbara strictly because she became Batgirl second; she will remain basically mute.

[edit!] I found out that she's not mute, just talks in broken speech. Fixed that. Also, after handing over the mantle of Batgirrl, she eventually continues fighting crime in Hong Kong under the name of Black Bat. Go figure.

Stephanie Brown – Formerly the Spoiler and later a female Robin before becoming the current Batgirl, she had an off and on relationship with Tim. She can hack, do gymnastics and martial arts like any other non-meta hero should. For this story, she'll still be in her Spoiler stage, which screws again with the canon storylines since Damian's been mentioned already, but again, this is Fanfiction. She's written as the same age as Tim in the cannon, thus shall be the same age as him in this story.

Birds of Prey – An all female vigilante group headed by Oracle, with members such as Black Canary and Powergirl. However, in this story, it's members will include Batgirl and Spoiler. Don't ask why, I just needed an excuse to pull the female bat family closer together for a later development in the story's plot.

**Gemini 5**

Wally was stunned, shocked, and more than a tad bit disappointed. Why? Simply because, very recently, the young speedster had made a startling discovery.

His crush was a pimp.

There, across the street from where Wally was peering behind a brick Gotham building, sat Dick Grayson, at the table of some hosh-posh, upper crust restaurant with three beautiful women.

The sight before him stung his heart, as he watched one of them, a tall redhead who looked to be about the age of a college freshman, fuss over the boy's cast before sighing exaggeratedly and sending him a teasing look. Dick just shrugged nonchalantly, before his attention was snatched away by a young blonde, probably around his age, that let out a sarcastic comment, causing the teen to snicker and smile.

Oh how Wally wished that smile was directed at him.

However, what bothered Kid Flash most was the third girl. Tall, tan, and Asian, Wally viewed her as his biggest threat, as she seemed to embody the ideal "silent, but sexy" female. She had yet to speak to the young Grayson, instead favoring to send him amused, expressive looks and casual touches to his arm when she wanted his attention.

Much to his dismay, Dick seemed to take this all in stride, conversing with the women with practiced ease. It made Wally's heart sink.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

"Babs, stop!" Dick cried out as the former Batgirl took his arm in her hands for the sixth time that day. "I told you I'm fine!"

Barbara leaned back in her chair, letting out a huff before sending him an amused smile. "I know, I know, but I have to make sure my little birdie's okay. Playing superhero is dangerous for a boy your age."

The young teen scowled. "Age my ass…" he mumbled, "And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'birdie'?" Turning to Cassandra, he leaned close to her ear and whispered conspiratorially. "You'd think for a girl with a photographic memory, she'd remember that by now."

Cass let out a soft laugh. "We just worried 'bout you," she said in her broken speech.

Dick just sighed, slumping in his seat. "I can take care of myself, guys. Seriously, no need to get so worked up!"

Stephanie crossed her eyes, looking amused. "You know, this only happened because you decided to take Tim's place the other night. If he was being Robin like he was supposed to, no one would have got shot," she said teasingly, "Losing your touch, Wonder Boy?" At that, Dick rolled his eyes, while, Barbara shook her head and laughed.

"Steph, it would do you some good to stop gushing over Tim all the time," she said humorously. "You're starting to sound like a fangirl." She turned to Dick. "She has a point though. What were you even doing in Gotham two days ago anyway, Dick? Weren't you supposed to be at the Mount Justice?"

Dick turned his gaze to the floor, toeing at the ground. "What? A guy can't get a little homesick?" They looked at him skeptically. "Fine. The truth is… Life with the team was getting a little boring. We hadn't had a mission in weeks, so I thought I'd grab some action in Gotham instead." He looked up. "Tim deserved a night off, anyway. Dude's a workaholic." Of course, it only figured that the day after he got hit, the team got to infiltrate a Cadmus lab.

Cass sent him an amused smile. "Tim surprise me. He good Robin," she commented offhandedly. Barbara nodded her head in agreement.

"Tim is an awesome Robin," Step confirmed, then held her hand to her forehead, sighing exaggeratedly. "Oh, how I miss him so~!"

Dick laughed. "It's too bad you're love for him is totally one-sided," he teased, "At least one good thing came from me getting shot. Tim got an escape from your unwanted affections." He beamed and Steph let out an offended gasp.

"They're not unwanted!" she protested. "Tim totally returns my feelings! He just doesn't realize it yet." At that, the whole group broke out laughing. Dick smiled. He was glad he'd invited the girls out for lunch. Hanging out with them was fun, though it barely ever happened anymore. With him constantly at Mount Justice and Barbara working as Oracle conducting Steph and Cass as the Birds of Prey, finding time to meet had become difficult. He really missed hanging out with his makeshift sisters, who were some of the only people he knew that could relate to life as a vigilante.

"You know," Barbara began, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Tim didn't have leave Gotham. There was another option."

"Oh?" questioned Dick, "And what would that be?"

The former Batgirl smiled. "You could have had Spoiler cross-dress into playing Robin again. She'd totally blend in with your team."

Dick's smirk slipped off his face in an instant, and he groaned. "Don't even joke about that!" he cried, exasperated. "It took me a year to convince the press that I wasn't suddenly converting to a life as a teenage transvestite after the _last _time she filled in!" He glared at Steph accusingly. She just shrugged.

"That wouldn't work," she replied thoughtfully to Babs, ignoring Dick's spluttering. "If I became Robin again, I still wouldn't get to spend time with Tim!"

"Or us," countered the redhead, and Cassandra let out a low chuckle.

A short while later, Dick was slapping some bills on their table and the group was standing to leave. It had been a pleasant lunch and he was disappointed that it was coming to a close, but he knew that the girls each had a busy schedule to keep. They were important people and had their own lives to get back to.

"You know, Dick," Steph said, suddenly, causing him to pause. "This little get-together doesn't have to end. We were all about to go shopping and-"

"I WILL NOT BE YOUR BAGBOY!" the Boy Wonder interrupted quickly, holding up his hands in defense. After one experience with the Birds of Prey at a local mall, he knew better than to accompany the group anywhere where they could flash their credit cards. The girls just giggled in response.

Stopping to wait for a stoplight, Dick was once again hit by a pang of sadness. This is was where they were to part, the girls to go on to raid a local shopping center while he returned home to the mansion. Alone. Sighing, Dick turned to face his friends once last time, feigning a grin. "You know… If you'd suggested we go to an arcade or the movies, I'd be totally game! That'd be asterous!" he said, smiling.

Steph made a face, before mumbling something about "boring guy stuff," while Barbs and Cass chuckled at Dick's unusual vocabulary. He gave his friends one last smile before the stoplight changed, signaling for people to walk. Stepping onto the road, he threw his friends a wave.

He didn't even see the truck barreling towards him.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Wally reacted instantly. He saw the truck coming towards Dick and moved without thinking. In two seconds, Kid Flash had his crush whisked up into his arms, bridle style, and out of the way of the speeding vehicle.

He'd been watching the teen for a while, despite the pain doing so caused to his heart. He just couldn't tear his eyes away. It was torturous and wrong, but Wally couldn't not stare at the beautiful boy. Luckily, though, his slight stalkerish tendencies led to him saving the young teen's life.

Still holding him in his arms, Kid Flash stopped in front of Dick's friends, who had triple looks of horror plastered across their faces as they watched the vehicle speed past. However, upon seeing the young Grayson safe and sound, the looks quickly morphed into ones of relief, though tinged with suspicion.

_Oh, that's right. Gotham hated metas._ Wally internally facepalmed. It figured, seeing as how many of the city's worst villains were humans with superpowers. However, what the general population of Gotham thought didn't matter to Wally; he only cared about Dick's opinion.

"KF?" the boy in question asked, blinking up at him dazedly and breaking him out of his thoughts.

Wally smiled brightly. "Hey kid, what's up?" Dick's eyes widened in shock and Wally's grin grew, thinking the boy was just surprised to see him.

What he didn't expect was for Dick to slam his palm into his face.

Wally reeled back, looking hurt and stunned while Dick jumped out of his arms, a hand still covering the speedster's face.

"Dude!" he hissed, "Where the hell is your mask?"

From behind Dick's hand, Wally blinked. Oh shit. He had been so excited after his talk with Robin that he came to Gotham in his civvies.

"Here, take these," a feminine voice suddenly interrupted, probably one of the girls Dick was with. With a quick thanks and short goodbye, Dick led Wally to a nearby alley before jamming a pair of dark sunglasses over the young hero's head. Once the makeshift disguise was situated firmly on the red's face, Dick squared Wally with look.

"What are you doing here, Kid Flash?" he demanded seriously.

Wally gulped. Dick did not sound happy to see him. And after carelessly revealing his identity and basically looking like an irresponsible idiot, who could blame him?

"I, uhh, was in the neighborhood?" he tried, nervously, "And I thought, uhm, after last time… You said we could hang out? So, uh, here I am?"

Dick just stared at him for a minute, blinking, and Wally's heart sank. God, did he sound stupid. However, the boy seemed to accept the explanation, sending him a small smile. "Sure? Same place?" he asked, referring to the pastry shop where they met.

A short while later, the two were sitting comfortably in a booth at Gotham Sweets, engaging in friendly conversation as Wally downed a few pies. Dick had reassured Wally that he wouldn't reveal his secret identity to anyone, not that he could place a name to a face anyway, and the young speedster seemed to have calmed down from his obvious embarrassment. However, though Wally had become emotionally resolved, Dick was inwardly panicking. A single thought kept repeating inside his head, endless and constant like a drumbeat.

_I should not be doing this. I really should not be being this._

Having his civilian identity interact with his vigilante teammate was not a good idea. Why Dick had even agreed to spend time with the boy in the first place was beyond his own understanding. But not really. Dick internally sighed. He hadn't told anyone, but lately he'd been missing his best friend.

Back at Mount Justice, even before he'd been injured, Dick had noticed them growing more and more distant. Sure, they hung out every now and then, but the speedster's time seemed to be increasingly consumed by his attempts to woo Megan, leaving the Boy Wonder forgotten and alone. Even when the Martian wasn't in the room, all Wally ever seemed to talk about was her.

Needless to say, it'd been getting annoying.

Now though, things were different. Now Wally was acting like his old self, prattling on about useless things which, although pointless, seemed endearing to Dick. He missed moments like this and didn't want to lose them again.

However, at the same time, Dick knew that his feelings were irrelevant to his making a decision. Batman and even Tim had always told him that he was not the best actor, so there was no way he could keep up this stunt. It was inevitable that he'd give himself away, say something personal that only Robin would know, and reveal his identity. He should end this now.

But…

He just couldn't do it. He really missed his friend and after being cooped up in the manor with nothing to do, it was nice to see a familiar face. Maybe he should at least give this friendship a try.

"So who were the chicks you were hanging out with before?" KF asked suddenly, breaking him out of his musings.

Dick furrowed his brows. "Who, Babs and the others?" Wally nodded. "They're close friends," he replied, "Kinda like sisters really. I invited them out to lunch, since, with this arm, I had nothing better to do."

Wally's face briefly shown with a look of relief, but he quickly replaced it with a look of indifference. Dick, however, caught the slip. "Why? You hitting on my friends?" Wally flushed and Dick sent him a glare, though he was smirking on the inside. Sadly, he knew the boy was too busy eyeing up a certain green-skinned teammate to deal with more than one woman. That didn't explain Kid Flash's blush, though, Dick realized, causing him to frown.

Oblivious to the boy's confusion, Wally sputtered. "N-no dude! I'm fine! Not really interested." Then, seeing Dick's changed expression and mistaking it as one of offense on behalf of his friends, he backpedaled. "N-Not that they're not hot and all, but I kinda have my eye on someone else."

If it weren't for the fact that Wally didn't know Dick wasn't Robin, the Boy Wonder would have slapped him. '_Just when I thought I were free of all Megan related talk, here it comes again!'_ he seethed inwardly. Still, not wanting to seem rude, he indulged the young hero in what he thought was the path Wally wanted to take their conversation. "Oh, and who might that be?"

Again, to Dick's surprise, Wally blushed. That was not his usual reaction to speaking about Megan… He gasped. Had something happened between the Martian and Wally while he was gone? Had Wally finally made headway? A sudden pain struck him in the chest, and he rubbed the spot unconsciously.

"I-they-it's no one," stuttered out the metahuman teen. Dick rolled his eyes skeptically. "Really, I'm sorry for bringing it up. Let's talk about something else."

"So, this person," the undercover Boy Wonder continued, now curious, blatantly ignoring Kid Flash's attempt to redirect the conversation. "You ask them out yet?"

Kid Flash spluttered. "I-what?"

"Did you ask them out yet?" Dick repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Seeing that the boy wasn't going to give up, Wally sighed. "No…"

"And why not?"

"I-I just met them!" Wally replied. Inwardly, Dick frowned. Four months was a bit of a stretch for 'just met.' Was Kid Flash's crush was someone other than Ms. Martian? "A-and there's no way they'd go someone like me…" KF trailed off sadly.

Wally's lack of confidence was worrying and unusual. Cracking a smile and taking pity on his friend, Dick realized his error in pursuing the subject and tried to reassure the boy. "I'm sure that's not true. You seem like a fun guy, plus you're a superhero. What's not to like?" He stole a piece of pie from Wally's plate.

Looking up, Wally stared as the morsel of dessert traveled to Dick's mouth, catching a flash of pink tongue as it disappeared inside. "Erm… I…" he swallowed thickly. "I don't know. But I'm probably not good enough anyway. They're kinda way out of my league."

Dick was starting to grow concerned. Wally's behavior was freaking him out. Shy and full of doubt? The kid never acted that way. This must be serious.

"Why don't you tell me about this person?" Dick asked. Wally looked hesitant. The boy gave him an encouraging grin, hoping to probe some answers out of the boy, but KF brushed him off. Quick as a blink, Wally thanked him for the pie, left a few bills on the table, sped off before Dick could get in a word to stop him.

Now he was definitely worried.

Xxx

**A/N:** Wow, that was a bit difficult to write. I just realized I do not do fluff. But only one more of these intermediate chapters to go; they're more for minor details and minor plot development than anything.

Also, I've been informed that I may be moving the whole WallyxDick thing a little fast, which is alarming to me, since I myself hate it when that happens in fics I read. So, here's my rationale on how Wally got over Megan and moved on to Dick. I viewed what KF felt toward the Martian as something akin to a boy with a crush; he thought she was hot so he tried to pursue her. With Dick, I was going for love at first sight (whether you believe in that or not), since he did this thing where he stared deeply into his eyes during their "first" meeting. Actually… I have a good explanation for why Wally felt so strongly for him, to be revealed when he realizes Dick is actually Robin. So be patient and wait?

Anyway, I once again apologize for this attempt at family & fluff moments. I must have rewrote this chapter a dozen times trying to get it right, so hopefully it's acceptable. I've started on the next chapter though, and that doesn't seem to be as bad, so I beg for you to stick with me! Tim and Kon up next!

REVIEW PLEASE! I UPDATE FASTER IF YOU DOOOO~!


	7. In Which Conner is Very Happy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. This is AU – meaning alternate universe and SLASH, MEANING GAY! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Slight language.

**Pairing**: DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake

**A/N: **Oh gawd, sorry I haven't updated in a while! Between SAT's, AP testing, a field trip, and junior prom, I didn't get a chance to sit down and write! Anyway, this is a fluffy little ConnerxTim Chapter, in which the aftermath of Conner's naming is unleashed. Do not be disturbed by his apparent giddiness and OOC tendencies, as he is _**very**_ excited. On a separate note, I've decided to try molding Tim back into character as well, so bear with me. Again, this fluff contributes to some sort of a story line in future chapters!

**To the Reviewers:** Thanks for the response and feedback! I truly appreciate you taking the time to write a review, they always make my day!

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Young Justice Base Layout – In the base, the TV room is almost conjoined with the kitchen, yeah? Well that's how it is here, so….

**Gemini 6**

Connor was happy. At first shocked, but now very, very happy. So happy, in fact, that he thought he might be high. Perhaps that's why he found himself with an armful of Boy Wonder and wide smile plastered across his face as he sat on the couch, watching TV. Apparently delirious gratitude towards Robin somehow translated into him giving the kid a hug. And not letting go.

Despite what others might think, Superboy – no Connor – was not naïve. He knew that in general, hugs only lasted a few seconds at best, but he couldn't help himself! This was probably the greatest day of his short clone life!

Robin had given him a name. And Superman had said it was nice! Sure the Kryptonian was obviously uncomfortable throughout the duration of the exchange, but at least his eyes didn't scream disgust as they did when he first found out Conner had Luthor DNA. Maybe this was a sign that things were changing, that the Man of Steel might be more accepting towards him in the future. Maybe he might even teach him about his powers!

Okay, now he was acting naïve. However, all rational thought left him as he drowned in his own joy. He had a name! Conner hadn't told anyone, but lately he'd been doubting he'd ever get one. The clone had spent a whole four months at Mount Justice without hearing so much as a whisper about him possibly being called anything besides Superboy. Therefore, at this moment, he couldn't stop how his arms had spontaneously latched themselves around the Boy Wonder's small, wiry frame.

Needless to say, Robin had initially been shocked by the clone's sudden display of affection. He had even let loose a small yelp before awkwardly patting Conner on the back and informing him that he was crushing his ribs.

"Sorry," Conner had replied, sheepish at the time, but not releasing his hold. He had been and still was _**very happy**_.

Robin had just waved him off while vainly trying to wiggle out of his grip. Eventually, he gave up and uttered a reply. "S'okay, Conner. Super strength, I get it. TV?" Blushing a little in embarrassment, but not hesitating to comply, the half-Kryptonian heeded the boy's request and lifting him off the ground, carrying him to their current spot on the couch. He was still holding him within his arms when their two female teammates walked in. Stopping abruptly and causing Megan to crash into her back, Artemis gaped at the sight before her.

"Uhh… Did something happen while we were gone?" she asked, blinking a few times and rubbing at her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was real. Superboy was hugging Robin. And _smiling?_

Megan just nodded dumbly beside her, more than a little confused at the sight of the clone cuddling their young friend on the couch. Easily interpreting their confusion, the Boy Wonder made to respond, but Conner interrupted him.

"Yes," he said, succinctly before tightening his hold on the boy ever so slightly and going back to stare at the TV. The two girls' jaws dropped. Robin's face turned a bright red and he squirmed in place before trying to amend his friend's previous statement.

"It's not what you think," he trying his best to face the girls from his restricted position. "Kon's just a bit excited because I gave him a name."

Conner's smile grew. Had he just been given a nickname? One that wasn't based off his superhero identity? Damn, if his grin grew any larger, Conner was sure his face would split. Desperate to hide his excitement, at the risk of shocking his two female teammates further, he angled his head downward to hide his face. Unfortunately, this led to him burying his head in the crook of Robin's neck. He heard the girls squeal and felt the boy stiffen, but ignored it as he suddenly found his position very comfortable. Robin smelt nice…

"S-So!" Megan squeaked, blushing, trying to recover from the image assaulting her vision by attempting conversation. "I assume Kon is short for Conner, right?"

Robin nodded and glared as Artemis snickered at his situation. Really, couldn't the girls act more mature? Their minds were obviously twisting the innocent act before them into some perverted illusion. Conner was obviously just excited and them inserting innuendo in the clone's actions was ruining the purity of the moment.

Just then, Kaldur walked in, empty water bottle in hand, most likely coming from the workout room. He paused, surveying the scene before him, before continuing on to the sink, filling the container, and exiting wordlessly. Trust the Atlantean to be the mature one of the group. Chuckling to themselves, the girls followed suit, deciding that they would get answers from Robin later when his position didn't look so compromising. Tim just rolled his eyes, while Conner peeked his head up from his position at his neck and continued watching TV.

He was still very happy.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

When Conner first hugged him, Tim had been surprised. When it seemed the alien clone didn't seem keen on letting him go, he had initially been uncomfortable, but found himself getting over it quickly. He reasoned that Conner had only been technically alive for four months, so he was probably a little awkward in social situations. Tim didn't hold it against him, as he could often relate. Outside of a few close friends, namely Dick, Barbara and the rest of the Bat Fam, Tim didn't really have that many friends, which was why he could pardon Conner's recent lack of respect for his personal space at the moment. Apparently he had a habit of overanalyzing situations and not reacting well to the spontaneity of social events. Currently, he could feel Conner breathing against his neck and knew that if he'd turned his head, the boy would beaming a smile. Knowing that made the slight awkwardness of their current situation all the more bearable, as he knew the teen hadn't had the easiest time transitioning from life in a test tube to life on a team. In fact, Tim was content to stay in their current position, undisturbed, but the moment was not to last. Just as he was settling in at his place on the Kryptonian teen's lap, Kid Flash zoomed into the room, running his mouth faster than his feet.

"RobOhmGod! and… I… we uhh… Why are you in Supey's lap?"

"Why are you wearing woman's sunglasses?" Conner shot back, seeing the feminine accessories adorning the kid's head. Wally flushed, before tearing the glasses off his eyes and tugging Tim out of Superboy's grip, flashing them to his room. The Kryptonian frowned down at his now empty arms.

Meanwhile, Wally was rapidly filling Tim in about his meeting with Dick while the third Boy Wonder struggling to understand his high speed explanation. He eventually gained the gist of what was being said, but had to stop the speedster multiple times to have him repeat parts of his story.

In short, Dick had started asking question and Wally had panicked. He knew the boy probably hadn't suspected Kid Flash was crushing on him, but in his presence, Wally had begun to lose his composure and fled the scene. Something about "his honest blue eyes" compelling him to tell the truth. Tim had struggled not to laugh.

Initially, the Third Robin had been surprised that Dick had decided to continue civilian interaction with Kid Flash, but he didn't worry about it, trusting the boy to know what he was doing. However, he did feel the need to inform his counterpart of Wally's romantic feelings; despite KF's recent flub with Dick, Tim knew he would make an effort to contact the Gothamite again. Given the data he'd gathered on the boy, it didn't fit his personality profile to just give up, therefore informing Dick of his intentions would be a logical decision.

Wally eventually finished his retelling and promptly left Tim alone in his room, having smelt Ms. Martian finish baking another batch of questionable cookies and seeking comfort food. Left alone, Tim traveled back to his own chambers, deciding he better gather his thoughts for a report for Dick about the recent going-ons at the mountain. A lot had happened in his two days at base. Thankfully, tomorrow was Monday and as most members of Young Justice dispersed back to their home cities during the school week, he'd have time confer with Dick about each of their individual situations. Resolved to spend the rest of the evening with his computer, he was more than a little surprised when he opened his door to find Conner waiting for him, sitting on his bed.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Conner was on a mission. After Kid Flash had whisk Robin away, out of his arms, the boy had realized that he no longer enjoyed the solidarity of being alone. So he decided to rectify the situation. He resolved that he was going to make his first friend.

That wasn't to say he wasn't already friends with the team around him, but throughout his time at the mountain, he'd kept himself distant from others, never really forming a bond or connection. Because he was a clone, he'd felt detached from those around him, and thus felt no need to invest himself emotionally in the team. However, today was different. Today, Robin had reached out to him and gave him a name. As sappy as it sounds, that single action made him forget about his shady origins, at least momentarily, and remember that he was actually a person. As a person, being cooped up alone in front of a TV wasn't going to cut it, leading him to the conclusion that it was about time he started opening up. And who better to start with than one who spurred the action in the first place? So here he was, waiting in the bedroom of none other than the Boy Wonder.

When Robin first entered the room, he stopped at the doorway, looking confused. "Uhm, Kon? What are you doing here?" he asked hesitantly. Conner just shrugged. He didn't know what to say, but assumed Robin would fill the silence. The boy always seemed like the social type whenever he talked to Aqualad or Kid Flash. However, Kon frowned, that was before two days ago, when he noticed something about Robin had become… different. Looking back, it surprised the clone how easily he'd forgotten about that detail and their brief exchange upon the Boy Wonder's return to the mountain.

"Uhm, hello?" Robin asked suddenly, and Kon realized that the silence between them had stretched to an uncomfortable length. Hesitantly, Kon tried to amend the situation with a small smile. The Gothamite just blinked incomprehensively before returning the gesture uncertainly. He then went to sit at his desk, switching on his laptop and swiveling in his chair around to stare at the clone expectantly.

"Err..." Superboy scrambled. Might as well be direct. "Do you want to be friends?"

A quick look of surprise flashed across the Boy Wonder's face, accompanied by the dropping of his jaw before he enthusiastically shook his head yes. Once again, Conner's face split into a grin, even as silence descended upon the two for a second time. "Uh... So what happens now?"

Caught off guard by the pointed inquiry, Robin blinked before attempting to respond. "Well…" he trailed off, "We could do a lot of things." Conner looked at him questioningly. Tim cursed himself inwardly. He really _was_ socially awkward. "We could talk, play video games, watch a movie, anything you'd like really," he said, throwing out a few suggestions.

Kon tilted his head to the side. "But… What do you want to do?"

"Erm…" Robin huffed. "Honestly, nothing much. I was just going to write an email to, uh, Batman, but we could just hang out? Do you like music? I have an iPod…"

Superboy shrugged, feeling a little distressed. Friendships weren't always this stilted, were they? It never seemed that way when Robin was talked to Wally, Kaldur, or even Roy… Abruptly, Robin perked up.

"Wait here." He commanded, jumping off his seat and running to his closet, rummaging around inside while Conner looked on curiously. After a short while, the boy stepped back with a cry of triumph, holding up what looked to be a stack of magazines in his small hands. Robin faced the boy with a smirk.

"These," he said, presenting the booklets to Superboy, "are comic books." Conner looked between the stack and him silently. Robin sighed. "Look, like I said, I was going to send Batman an email, and that can't wait, but I don't want to turn you away. And obviously conversation isn't coming easy between us at the moment." He sat down next to the clone. "So here's what we're going to do. You're gonna read this book while I get some work done. Ask me questions about it if you want along the way, but when I'm finished we'll have something to talk about." Kon eyed him skeptically, but Rob just kept smiling unfailingly. "I think it's funny to compare what the heroes in the story do in as opposed to those in real life." Slapping him lightly on the back, Robin went back to his desk.

Hesitantly, Superboy took a comic and slowly opened the book, Young Avengers to its first page. As Robin had hinted, there were superheroes on the cover, colorfully drawn with splashes of cartoon lightning decorating scattered around their young forms. Sighing, Conner decided to give the books a chance, if only for the sake of avoiding awkwardness with the Boy Wonder in the future.

Reading through the booklets, Conner began to understand their odd appeal. The comics were simple to understand, with a simple storyline about teens with powers, much like themselves, working under a larger superhero league. Frankly, he was also glad for the distraction as, though he wanted Robin as a friend, he knew he wasn't yet the talkative type. Thus, just lying on the kid's bed while the other threw together an e-mail left the young clone feeling content.

Meanwhile, Tim was furiously typing away on his keyboard, adding final touches to his email to Dick. However, just as he was about to click send, a small notification icon appeared in the bottom right corner of his screen, signaling a message from the Batcave. Opening it up and scanning the file, he quickly sprang up out of his seat and fled the room. Conner barely caught sight of Tim as he disappeared through the door, not giving a word of explanation, just grabbing his utility belt and costume as he left. Turning his attention to the open laptop still sitting on the desk, confused, the Kryptonian read two words before the computer locked, screen going dark.

_Fear gas._

Xxx

A/N: Yeah, Tim's only been there for 2 days, if you followed my storyline. Seems longer though, huh? I've got to find but a way to speed things up… I really hope I'll be able to space out the timing better in the future, 'cause I can't have these guys falling in love with each other in less than a week. That'd be bad.

Small shout out to the Young Avengers comic books, which is basically the Young Justice of Marvel. Just thought it was worth mentioning because there's no need for slash goggles in that series; they have their own cannon gay couple. They're currently my favorite pairing! BillyxTeddy FTW! Plus, the characters really are similar to those of YJ; there's a speedster, a bow and arrow girl, shape shifting alien, black guy with super strength (jk not trying to be racist). Not really any Robin equivalent, but there's a brunette boy in tights with magic powers. Nuff said.

And I end with a cliffhanger… Sorry? But it's the set up for my next storyline. It all begins in the next chapter… Which may actually take a while to put out as my life is getting really busy… Until then!

REVIEW!


	8. Stealth, Mustard, and Fear Gas

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. This is AU – meaning alternate universe and SLASH, MEANING GAY! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Slight language.

**Pairing**: DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake _**EVENTUAL!**_

**A/N: **Fear gas chapter! Back to Gotham with the storyline! Yes, those two fluffy setup chapters have finally led to a major story arc! Oh and there's Damian canon warping! Oh and this is a WallyxDick AND ConnerxTim chapter. Bonus?

**Alert: ** I made a mistake. Remember in the interlude chapter, where I put Jason in as blonde? Yeah, well I got my facts cross after looking at an illustration. Apparently, Jason is a _**redhead **_that dyes his hair black after becoming Robin. However, once he becomes the Red Hood, he lets it grow naturally again, though there's a streak of silver from being immersed in the Lazarus Pit. I apologize for the mix up and tweaked the Interlude so that it would fit with the canon, since a random blonde wouldn't make any sense, even in fanfiction. Not important at the moment, but will be in future chaps. Plus it's been bugging me for a while, so SORRY AGAIN!

**To the Reviewers:**

Special thanks to: MAnialol Spins, Shuggie, FANGIRL, Ahja Reyn, Robin's Stalkekr, Haley Tran, iFanboy (And wow! Nice to see another Fanboy out there!), David-El, Angelrider13, Billiejoeischrist, PrincessTomboy, SpazticTwitchNinja, Kurozaki, Cainchan, & biblioholic! I love you all! Your support means so much to me, and I would totally give thanks to each and every one of you individually, but don't want to inflate the wordcount of my story unnecessarily. Plus I know you really just want to get on to reading! LOTSA LOVE AND CONTINUE TO REVIEW PLEASE! Oh, and to that 1 semi-flamer? The Robin(s) you're describing may be canon in some timeline I'm not familiar with, but YJ takes place on Earth-16, and the one I'm writing about is not the one that "became the leader of t titians at the age of 11" as Dick is 13 in the cartoon canon from which this story is based. This story is AU, as stated before, meaning Alternate Universe, which reserves me the right to twist the history of this story in any way I choose, provided I provide adequate explanation and do not let the nature of the story devolve into crack! *Smiles*

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Feargas – A tool used by Bat villain the Scarecrow, it causes hallucinations of the afflicted's worst fears.

Damian Wayne – He and Tim dislike each other _very_ much. It's kinda cute.

**Gemini 7**

Conner was beginning to worry. It had been over a week since Robin had fled his room, the words 'Fear Gas' flashing across his laptop monitor, and the team hadn't heard from him since. However, after voicing his concerns to Black Canary and Red Tornado, he'd been casually shrugged off. The two heroes reasoned that with Batman by the Boy Wonder's side, there was no cause for alarm, as surely the Dark Knight wouldn't let any harm come to his partner. Plus, having scanned reports of Gotham's local news, there didn't seem to have been any major events that would call for League intervention, besides a prison break that the city's plentiful population of vigilantes would undoubtedly have under control in a matter of days. Perhaps that was what was keeping Robin busy. Conner was unconvinced.

Meanwhile, Wally was also experiencing stress, but of a different nature. Today was the day he decided he would try and meet with Dick again and possibly make up for the way he ditched the kid during their last meeting. After spending the better part of the week trying to get his act together, planning what he was going to say and fabricating a fake love story should Dick ask about his crush again, all that was left for the speedster to do was calm his nerves.

It was by complete coincidence that both he and Superboy met at the teleport pad on their way to visit Gotham and investigate each of their respective problems.

"Err… Conner? Going somewhere?" Wally asked upon finding his teammate keying in a destination.

The boy looked at him and nodded before stepping towards the transfer pad. "Gotham," he explained, succinct as ever. Wally's face shone briefly with surprise as he super sped besides the clone.

"Huh, me too," the boy replied, pulling out a dark pair of what suspiciously looked like Robin's heavy tinted sunglasses from his pocket and placing them over his eyes. Superboy scowled.

"Why don't you just run there?"

Flashing him a grin, Wally smiled before answering. "I've got a meeting and don't want to totally look windswept."

Conner looked at him skeptically, but before he could issue a reply, the machine went off, sending the two on their way to the Dark Knight's city.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Tim sighed, exhausted, grabbing two water bottles from Wayne Manor's gigantic refrigerator and tossing one at Dick. The boy caught it with ease before heading towards the dining room and sinking into one of the ornate wooden chairs circling the huge center table. Tim followed his lead, fwumping down onto his own seat before thunking his head down on the tabletop and going silent.

The past week had been trying for both of the two active Robins. The message sent to Tim had been simple. Fear gas. Scarecrow had escaped and had unleashed a newly developed form of the toxin on Gotham, specifically during a charity dinner in which Bruce had been the sponsor. All in attendance had gone mad, storming out of the ballroom in which the event was held, the civilian Dark Knight included.

And then he disappeared, still yet to be found.

Even worse, it seemed that after the incident, there was a massive breakout at Arkham. Numerous superpowered villains had escaped, keeping the entire Batfmaily busy. However, Tim and Dick had left the task of rounding up the escapees to Oracle and the Birds of Prey, who had managed to acquisition the help of the newly active Batwoman for help. However, to the Robins, finding Bruce was their main priority.

Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne's disappearance had garnered some unwanted attention, namely from one Damian Wayne. Tim groaned at the memory.

_Damian had appeared in the Batcave not six hours after Bruce's disappearance had become public knowledge, courtesy of Vicky Vale and the rest of Gotham's press. He had arrived silent and unannounced, bypassing all of the hideout's security protocols flawlessly._

"_Evening Bat-Brains," he greeted, appearing from out of the shadows, clad in a black and white bodysuit, cape, and black domino mask. The two Robins didn't even flinch. In fact, they had been expecting him earlier, figuring the grandson of Ra's al Ghul would have been informed of his biological father's disappearance sooner than the press could spread the word._

"_You're late," Tim said, continuing to type on a monitor, Dick doing the same. "Bruce disappeared hours ago and you're just getting here now?"_

_Damian scowled. "Can it Timothy, unlike you, some of us have lives."_

"_Because working for the League of Shadows and your terrorist grandpa totally constitutes a life," Tim shot back. Dick sighed. It was inevitable that these two would fight. They were like him and Jason, before the boy was put into a coma at the Joker's hands. Damian apparently hated Tim, put off by the fact that the man he called his father had let 'some nobody schoolboy' become his sidekick. Tim returned this distaste with equal fervor, stemming from how "That brat's always trying to steal my position!" That, along with the boy's dark history was enough to earn much distrust._

_Damian was born genetically the biological son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul. He had been a product of a failed scheme orchestrated by the madman in which Ra's planned to acquire the wealth of all the world's richest businessmen by essentially slutting out his daughter. The plan entailed sending Talia to various business conferences, during which she and a group of her female subordinates would "procure" genetic samplings from several top tycoons and bring them back to be mixed with Talia's DNA in order to form children. Bruce Wayne, still in the early years of his being Batman, had been a prime target for the scheme. The children would be born after being genetically perfected via artificial womb, then raised by the League of Assassins until they were old enough to venture into the public and stake a legal claim in each of the respective businessman's companies as heirs, thereby diverting the men's fortunes toward Ra's personal cause. However, the scheme failed as all the subjects, excluding Damian, perished from errors in the genetic sequencing. As such, the boy was left to become sole successor to Ra's criminal empire, that is, until he discovered his common lineage with the Batman. Currently, Damian was still working for al Ghul, though he seemed to waver in matters concerning Bruce and occasionally gave the Bat Pack help when needed._

At the moment, Damian was working with Oracle, discreetly combining Ra's database with the League's up at Watchtower in hopes of creating an antidote from the blood work of other victims. Scarecrow had really outdone himself with this batch, as it seemed the toxins were able to cause longer lasting hallucinations, possibly indefinite in length if not treated. Seeing as Batman was infected, this could prove to be a major problem, as the man wasn't one to take fear sitting down. He retaliated. It scared Tim to think of what Bruce might do while under the influence.

Sighing from his seat, the boy groaned. "We've got to get back to work…" Dick let out a moan in response.

"Five more minutes? We've been digitally plotting all of Bruce's possible actions under the gas' influence for days, but none have check out so far. My mind needs a rest."

Standing up, Tim shook his head. "There's got to be something we're not seeing. We covered the harbor hideout, city office weapon's stash, emergency batcave under the public library… none of them have been touched. What are we missing?"

Turning his eyes to glare, Dick looked up at his friend. "I don't know, you're the one that thinks like Bats. You tell me? What would a constantly calm, cool, creature of darkness do if he was scared?"

Tim grumbled childishly. "You're his freaking son, how should I… know..." He paused as a light lit up in his eyes, then ran out of the room, presumably to fetch his laptop. Dick tiredly stared after him, knowing the boy would return after he worked out whatever thought process was going through his mind.

Figuring he'd go to his own room to catch a little shut eye before continuing his work, as the two had been up nonstop for the better part of the week with only short naps at periodic intervals to hold them down, the boy ventured out into the foyer, headed towards the stairs. However, he stopped at the sound of a knocking on the manor's archaic wooden door. Calling to Alfred that he needn't move, Dick made to answer.

He was met with the sight of Kid Flash, in civvies and sunglasses, waiting on his doorstep. Of course, it was just then that Tim decided to reappear, barreling into the foyer, a small backpack in hand, chattering excitedly.

"Dick, I think I've found a lead. Bruce probably- Woah!" Tim exclaimed as he appeared in the foyer and saw Dick and what he assumed was an undercover Wally at the door. "I didn't realize you were expecting company."

Wally blinked, looking between the two confusedly, "I didn't know you had a brother."

Dick shook his head as Tim made to stand next to his Gothamite friend. "I don't, but we get that a lot."

"Uhm… Yeah," Tim broke in. "As I was saying, I think I got a lead on _that thing_ we were working on, so I'm just gonna go head off now, okay? I'll text you if I find anything." Without waiting for a reply, the boy fled the room via the front entrance, leaving Dick to handle Wally. A short silence encompassed the two, before the speedster smiled.

"So can I come in?"

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Conner grunted in frustration. This was proving to be pointless. He'd been wandering around Gotham for the better part of an hour and had yet find a trace of the city's infamous Boy Wonder. Granted, he hadn't any idea where to start looking…

He'd heard that when Superman needed to find someone, he'd use his super-hearing to zero in on the sound of the person's heartbeat. Apparently each was unique, like a fingerprint, with none like any other. Conner didn't get it. To him, everyone's sounded kinda the same. And since when did anyone have time to memorize a heartbeat anyway? Plus, what kind of creeper did something like that?

Still, Conner decided to give it a try. Taking a seat on a nearby bench, the boy closed his eyes and listened. Around him was a cornucopia of sound: car horns, civilian chatter, screeching tires, city buses, pigeons squawking… And then…

Nothing.

Conner blinked open his eyes and sighed. This was pointless. As much as it pained him to admit, he didn't have the skill to weed out the sound of Robin's heart, let alone voice, from the mess of urban sounds around him. But… He couldn't give up. He was genuinely worried about the Boy Wonder. Resigned, he decided to resume his search of the city. He'd have to run into something kind of lead eventually, right? However, just as he moved to stand from his seat on the bench, his search was delayed as a small, raven headed figure sped past him, bumping him slightly as he went, and causing the clone to freeze.

A rush of air hit Kon's nose, tinged with the scent of… what could only be described as stealth. A scent of something like cleanliness, but not. It was an odd scent, one of shadows, and phantoms, and nothing. A fascinating smell befitting of the protégé of the Dark Knight, a creature embodying the night. It was Robin's scent! Kon recognized it from the day he'd received his name, the day that he'd developed that odd affinity for hugging, the day that Robin ran off without a word.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Kon saw the boy dart around a corner, and hastened to follow. He'd barely snagged the kid as he turned left on the next street, into an alley – apparently in mid costume change. To say Robin was surprised would be the understatement of the century.

"Kon! What are you doing here?" Tim gasped, barely slapping his mask on in time before turning to face his friend.

Conner spun the boy around so he could look him over fully, then furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You're okay?"

Blinking, Tim fishmouthed for a bit, before responding. "O-Of course I'm okay! What made you otherwise?"

Kon sent him an unamused glance. "You've been gone for two weeks without word or explanation." He deadpanned.

Tim cringed, before shrugging. "Eh, some stuff came up…" he trailed off, guiltily.

"What is fear gas?"

The Boy Wonder blinked. "What?"

Kon narrowed his eyes. "I saw it on your computer before you ran off. What is it?"

Tim rubbed at his face in frustration. Now that Kon had a chance to get a good look at him, the clone notice telltale signs of exhaustion littering his appearance. Robin's skin seemed a bit pale, his shoulders were slightly slouched, and Kon had no doubt that if a mask wasn't obscuring the kid's features that there would be bags under his eyes.

"Look Kon, this really isn't a good time. I've got a lot of stuff going on right now and really can't stop and chat. I'll see you back at the mountain." Shrugging off Kon's grip Tim made to leave, firing off a grappling hook and swinging off towards a nearby rooftop before Kon could get in a word.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

A beeping in Dick's ear signaled Tim opening up the bat comm. link. It caused a groan to erupt from his throat and him to slam his head against the dining room table.

"Everything okay there, Dick?" Wally asked, looking up from the large pile of food Alfred had brought him upon Dick's request. Dick gave him a half-hearted smile. What on Earth had possessed him to let the speedster into his house, especially at such a crucial time?

"Yeah, KF, I'm fine. Just got a call on my Bluetooth," Dick motioned towards his ear. "Excuse me for a sec?" Wally nodded and the exhausted boy got up to leave the room. "What's up Tim?"

"I'm heading off to follow my lead on the whereabouts of the Bat. I'll be arriving at Lost Journey Hospital in about fifteen minutes."

Dick's eyebrows furrowed. "Jason's hospital?" His eyes widened as he was hit by a revelation. That would make sense. With a groan, Dick realized he and Tim had been going about their search this week all wrong. Batman's greatest fears did not lie in personal harm, but in the injury of those close to him. Jason embodied that fear.

"HEY DICK! DO YOU HAVE ANY MUSTARD?" a voice called back from the kitchen. Dick visibly cringed.

"… Is Wally _in the mansion?_" an incredulous voice hissed in his ear.

Dick nodded ashamedly before he realized that Tim couldn't see the motion. "Erm… yeah?"

There was a pause. "Why?"

From the background Wally's voice came again. "NEVER MIND, I FOUND IT!"

"Because."

"Because?" Tim repeated, slowly, as if he trying to ascertain whether Dick was joking or not.

"Uh, yeah."

At the other end of the link, Tim rubbed absently at his face. He couldn't deal with this right now. Not after his recent run in with Kon. Things were getting too complicated and he needed to focus on the mission. "Alright, whatever," he replied, waving off his feelings of confusion and bewilderment. "I'm nearing my destination now. Maintain radio silence until otherwise notified. Robin out."

Shooting one last grappling hook towards the hospital roof, Tim swung up towards the top floor, landing with a quiet tap. Entering through the roof top hatch, the boy snuck through numerous halls and corridors, until he finally reached the resting place of one Jason Todd.

Lying still on his bed, various wires attached to his frail form, the second Robin looked to be merely sleeping. Hair a flaming red, but skin pale as sand, the sight cause Tim to pause. Was this what had become of the boy Bruce had failed to protect?

A shift in the shadows caught Tim's eye and he barely moved move d to the side in time to avoid a batarang imbedding itself in his skull. Turning around and glaring, Tim caught site of his target. The Batman was in the building.

To say Bruce looked disheveled would be an understatement. A heavy five o'clock shadow dusted the sides of his face, while the hero's cowl laid slightly askew atop his head. His posture was lacking, and even though they had yet to engage in a fight, Bruce already was breathing heavy. The gas obviously was still affecting him.

"Jason?"

Tim stepped back. What?

"Ja-Jason?" Bruce asked again, voice ragged and hand stretched out as he stepped toward Tim. The boy took another step back and threw a glance at the redhead lying on the hospital bed before returning to stare at Bruce. Even with his hood, Tim could see the pained, remorseful look painted across his mentor's face. Oh great. Under his mass hallucinations, Batman had mistaken his identity.

"You're okay?" Bruce continued, starting forward again, Tim moving back at the same time. "You're alright? I thought you'd… You'd died." He moaned. "You'll be alright from now on. I promise. I won't let the Joker or anyone else get near you ever again!"

With a thump, Tim's back hit a wall. Crap. Bruce was starting to freak him out. He continued to creep closer and closer, a delirious expression crossing his face as he inched forward. Tim attempted to become one with the wallpaper.

Ugh. Might as well try using this to his advantage. "Y-yeah! I-I'm fine, Bats! But I think you're hurt! We should head back to the Batcave so Alfred can check you out."

Pausing, Bruce studied the boy before posing a question. "Why are there two of you?"

Tim blinked. "What?"

"Why are there two of you?" the man replied, face going dark. "One lying in a bed," he said turning to face the real Jason, "And one talking to me?" His brow furrowed. "One of you must be an imposter. You're trying to trick me!" he shouted accusingly.

Shit. Ducking down, Tim narrowly evaded the gloved fist crashing down towards his head. Batman was on the attack.

Rolling to the side, the Boy Wonder dodged a kick, and hopped back, retreating towards the doorway. He needed to get them away from Jason. Fighting with him in the room, defenseless and comatose on his bed, would be dangerous. Retreating to the hall, Bruce took the bait and followed him, a slight growl escaping his throat as Tim continued to evade his blows.

Then the situation changed. Just as Tim was readying an ice pellet, with the intention of freezing Batman's legs and immobilizing him, all of a sudden, a black blur came hurdling past, crashing into Bruce and smashing them both into a nearby wall, kicking up a small cloud of dust and debris in the process. Tim coughed and choked, waiting for the duct to settle so he could figure out what the hell just happened.

"Kon?"

Pining Bruce to the ground with his Kryptonian strength, Conner flashed Tim with what could have been a smile before headbutting the Dark Knight, rendering him unconscious. "Hey."

At this point, Tim's jaw had dropped to the floor. "I-I thought I'd ditched you! What are you doing here?"

Getting up off the fallen bat, Superboy stood and walked up to Tim. In a serious voice, looking him dead in the eye, Kon deadpanned, "We never got to talk about your comics."

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Carrying an unconscious Batman to the Batcave twenty city blocks away without being detected was not an easy task. Especially with a blindfolded Superboy carrying said Batman. Still, Tim rationalized, it was necessary as Kon didn't have the proper clearance yet to know the cave's location. Very few people did. Nevertheless, through no shortness of effort, the three had arrived.

"Place him over there," Tim instructed Conner as he touched his earpiece and walked off to the side, radioing Dick. "Hey. My guess turned out right. Could you send Alfred down?"

Dick responded instantly. "Yeah, sure, just give me a sec to get rid of Wally and I'll-"

"HE'S STILL HERE?" Tim exclaimed, cutting him off in a mixture of incredulity and surprise. A few yards away, Kon turned and gave him a questioning look. The Boy Wonder waved him off.

A few stories up in Wayne Manor, Dick flinched. "Yes?" he asked unsurely. In all honesty, he understood Tim's reaction. He really should have gotten rid of the meta soon after he arrived, but that was easier said than done.

After Tim had first declared radio silence close to an hour prior, Dick had been set to kick the redhead out of his house, but Wally seemed to have other ideas. He had quickly struck up conversation with the Boy Wonder and Dick, whether it be because of exhaustion or something deeper, had quickly lost track of time.

"_I'm sorry about how I just ran off the other day," Wally began, looking slightly uncomfortable, but giving Dick a brilliant smile nonetheless. Dick frowned as he remembered the incident._

"_It's nothing, I shouldn't have pushed the issue." Looking back, he really didn't understand why he did. It shouldn't really matter who Wally like, should it. Sure, as his best friend, he had the right to be curious, but at the same time, being a best friend meant he should know which boundaries not to cross. Even if Wally didn't know he was his best friend._

_Wally gave him a smile. It had all gone down from there. Wally began talking about Central City and life as the Flash's partner, while Dick tried to listen, though he was till too worried about the Batman situation to do an adequate job. He really hoped Tim's lead turned up results._

"_You're really upset aren't you?" Wally asked, startling him out of his thoughts. Dick blinked before turning to face Wally, seeing a somber expression upon his face._

"_Y-Yeah," Dick replied. "Bruce… uhh… He's been like a father to me ever since I lost my real… father. And, err… family." The boy shifted awkwardly under Wally's stare. "I… I'm just worried."_

_Propping his head up on his hand, Wally looked Dick directly in the eye. "You can talk to me about it, if you want," he said seriously, more seriously than Dick had ever seen him throughout their entire friendship, "I may not be able to relate much, but I… uh… can be a great listener."_

_For reasons unknown to the raven haired boy, Dick found himself blushing and looking towards the ground. It was probably because of the intensity and sincerity with which Wally delivered his statement; it was touching. And tempting. Dick took Wally up on that offer._

_He began to unload all his personal baggage, starting from when he was first adopted by Bruce to the present. Of course, he edited out all mentions of crime fighting activity, substituting those parts instead with his experiences at Bruce's "Wild Bachelor Parties," and even included a bit about how he met his other best friend, Tim. He bended the truths of that story a slightly too, but kept it mostly to the facts. Afterward, Dick had felt cleansed, detoxified. He'd never been that open before, not to anyone. And by that time, Tim was radioing in._

"I'm gonna go get Alfred now. He should still be in the kitchen with Wally. KF's watching him cook dinner or something."

"Fine," Tim replied, sounding a little miffed. "But, we're going to have a talk about this later. I'm sure you know what you're doing, letting the kid into the mansion and all, but there are some things you should know –"

A crash was suddenly heard in the background followed by a pained grunt and a few curses, then silence. Dick jumped, startled.

"Dick?"

Nothing.

"Dude, are you alright?"

Still nothing, though Dick thought he could hear a few grunts and more crashing in the background. Listening closely, but beginning to panic, Dick heard an anguished cry.

"Jaaaassooooooon!"

Xxx

_**A/N: Wrote this over the span of two weeks. Wow, 10 pages. Sorry if it's a bit choppy, I really shout have split this chapter up into shorter mini chaps, but oh well! By the way, saw some pictures of Jason Todd in recent Batman comic panels. HE IS A GINGER THOR! Lol, at least that's what's been rolling around tumblr. That and Catlad!Tim. THERE WILL BE A CATLAD TIM CHAPTER! I HAVE ALREADY PLANNED FOR IT IN MY STORYLINE! For the waaaayyyy future though.**_

_**I've also started writing a Spidderman/X-Men Evolution crossover story if anyone is interested, so check it out on my profile! Rewatched the entire Evo series because of the YJ hiatus screwing me over. Heard rumors that the show won't return until July. I am crying. I'm holding off on my Roy/Jason story until Gemeni gets to a certain point in its storyline though I have everything pretty much planned out. Future updates will be slow though. It's crunch time, I have SAT2's I should be studying for next week along with 6 different projects for school. If you haven't already, it'd be a good idea to add an alert for this story.**_

_**Anywayyyy just saw a pic of Clark and Bruce sharing a bed, and the fanboy in me is giggling. It was cannon too, but nothing romantic/sexual. Oh well! Until next time!**_

_**REVIEW! GET ME OVER THE 100 MARK!**_


	9. Smokescreens and Solar Blankies

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. This is AU – meaning alternate universe and SLASH, MEANING GAY! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Slight language.

**Pairing**: DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake _**EVENTUAL!**_

**A/N:** Sooo… I know I haven't updated in a while, but I said I was busy… Anyway, I've just finished watching Targets and learned about the DC reboot so I'm caught between really whelmed and not feeling the aster. Targets was a cool episode, though they totally butchered how Conner got his name… Supermartian *eyeroll* Nothing against it, I'm just a diehard slasher. Also, DC Comics is relaunching a whole lot of their comics, giving characters new backgrounds and costumes… Tim's Red Robin look's been redesigned with feathers, Barbara's out of her wheelchair, and Kon's got a tat. Don't know what's up with Cassandra and Stephanie though they might have been erased from the continuity… Btw, I found out that Cass CAN talk, so I fixed that in Chapter 6, not that it really changes anything, but I strive for authenticity. Anyway, onward?

**To the Reviewers:** YESSS! FINALLY OVER THE 100 REVIEW MARK! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IS AWESOME!

Special thanks to Shuggie, Silhearty23, Haley Tran, Cainchan, SpazticTwitchNinja, angelrider13, Billiejoechrist, Bump, biblioholic (and yes I am still doing the Roy/Jason fic. Checkk ff on Monday), PaddysGal, Kurozaki, Robin'sStalker, Ahja Reyn, darke wulf, Ramen NoodlesXD, and SailorSilvanesti! Whoo-hoo! Love to you all!

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Kryptonians draw power from the yellow sun.

The Batcave is under Wayne Manor.

**Gemini 8**

Without a moment of hesitation Dick sprung into action. The sound of Tim grunting as he fended off assault filtered through his comm. accompanied by moans from an obviously intoxicated Bruce. Rushing through the halls, the boy pulled a lever, causing a hidden passage to swing open. He dashed forward, grabbing a spare utility belt from the wall as he disappeared inside.

"Dick?" Wally's voice called from somewhere behind him, but the original Robin paid no heed. Not when he could hear the strangled groans of Superboy echoing in his ear. Bats must have found he Kyrptonite, nothing else could make a Kryptonian moan like that.

Rounding a corner and coming to the main section of the Batcave, Dick slipped on his mask and surveyed the scene. He'd been right. Above the clone, Batman stood, a huge chunk of meteor rock clutched in hand, edging closer to his fallen, possibly unconscious, comrade and murmuring growled threats. Off to the side, Tim lay on the floor, knocked out as well.

Acting swiftly, Dick tossed a few smoke pellets into the air which exploding with a bang, shrouding the already dimly lit room in shadows. Acting switly, he then sent a birdarang spiraling towards the Dark Knight's gloved hand, knocking the Kryptonite out of his delirious mentor's grasp.

"Jaaasooon!" the man moaned mournfully, causing Dick to frown. Yup, clearly crazy. From what the Boy Wonder could see through the smoke, the fear gas toxins were beginning to win over Bruce. His form was hunched and as he lashed out at his unseen attacker, his movements were awkward and strained, like the zombies in a third class horror flick.

Dashing forward, Dick produced a pair of restraints from his belt, and jumped to snag one of Batman's arms, twisting it behind him as he did, before descending in a smooth aerial flip. His resulting momentum flung his mentor onto his back, slamming him down on the rocky floor with a loud thump. Dick smirked. Not bad for a guy with an injured arm. However, just as he was about to roll Bruce over to finish binding his mentor's hands, Bruce surprised the boy, headbutting him as he bent over to shift his form. Stumbling back with a groan, he raised his hands in defense as Bruce let loose a flurry of lunging punches. Unfortunately, some of the blows caught his cast, causing him to cry out in pain. He wind-milled backwards in agony.

"Gurh" Dick grunted as his back hit a wall. Damn. Ran out of space. Even hopped up on fear gas, Bruce seemed was a formidable opponent. Tensing his body and closing his eyes, Dick prepared for the final blow.

But it never came.

Instead of a hit, a light _*snick*_ and hiss of air graced Dick's ears.

"Pfft, letting your guard down, Grayson?" a new voice teased. Opening his eyes, Dick surprised to see none other than Damian Wayne, arms crossed and looking down at him disapprovingly, a blowgun gripped loosely in one hand. Turning his eyes to Bruce, Dick saw the man swaying, a small red tail raised from the skin where Batman's slightly off-center cowl exposed his neck. He barely stretched his arms out in time to prevent the man from hitting the floor.

Rolling his eyes, Dick gently lowered his adopted father to the ground, before moving to examine the others.

"I never thought I'd be happy to see you," Dick said, and earning a huff in response. However, he didn't dwell on the other boy's attitude. His mind was otherwise occupied with thoughts of his fallen comrades, especially Conner. This would be Superboy's first documented encounter with Kryptonite, which worried Dick as he wasn't sure how it would affect his half-human and half-alien genetic make-up. He'd have to check on that.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxXX

"Dick!" Wally called, running through the halls. "Dick, where are ya, dude?" It had been close to an hour since the boy had disappeared and Wally was a bit worried. He hadn't ditched him in his own house had he? As far as he could tell, KF thought the afternoon had been going good between them. Had… Had he thought wrong?"

"Master Wallace, I must insist that you return to the kitchen," an elderly voice cried. Alfred gasped, leaning against his wall and breathing a bit heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He'd been trying to catch the speedster for a while now, with little success. He really wasn't as young as he used to be.

"Yeah, well I'm just wondering where Dick went and as much as I love talking food with you, Alf, you're not the person I originally came here to see."

Alfred nodded sagely. "I understand, but I'm sure Master Bruce would not appreciate a stranger dashing through his family home at mach 5 speeds."

Slumping his shoulders a bit in defeat, Wally had to agree. He really didn't want to piss of Dick's dad. The dude was probably rich enough to have him killed if he even looked at him the wrong way. That is… if he was ever found.

"KF?" A voice called somewhere from downstairs. "Alfred? Hey, where did everybody go?"

In a second Wally was in front of Dick, Alfred's plea to not use his super speed long forgotten. "Dude, where've you been!" he exclaimed, a broad grin spreading across his face.

"Grayson, I demand to know who this blur of a boy you've let into my father's house is." Wally blinked. Looking to his friend's side, the meta spotted a grumpy looking eight-year old, currently sending both of them a scowl. Dick laughed sheepishly.

"Uh, hey KF. This is Damian. My, uh… little brother?" he said questioningly.

"You're not my brother, Grayson, just the adopted child of the man who is my father," the kid replied snootily. Dick sighed.

"Yeah, well, right," turning his eyes to Wally, Dick gazed at him apologetically. "Sorry Kid Flash, but we're gonna have to cut this meeting short. Damian, here, just came back from a private school in Denver, because of the... Uh… Scarecrow thing. He's kinda eager to get back to the search for Bruce, so…" Dick trailed off while the young Wayne just scowled. Wally nodded understandingly, despite the fact that he hadn't ever heard of another Wayne heir. Dick walked him to the door.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Conner woke to soft poking and prodding in his side. Blinking groggily he began to sit up, but stopped abruptly. Everything _hurt_.

"Glad to see you're awake," a familiar voice said, drawing his attention. Robin. Continuing his prodding Tim proceeded to test Conner's joints and reflexes, conducting a full physical examination on his previously unconscious friend and jotting down notes on a small tablet.

"What hit me?" asked the clone, barely suppressing a groan. _God_, even his insides hurt.

"Batman whipped out the Kryptonite after waking up. He caught us both by surprise and knocked you out."

Conner nodded in response. He couldn't really remember what had happened through the migraine that was currently assaulting his head, but he'd take Robin's word for it. Moving to put the tablet aside, the Boy Wonder stepped away from Conner, only to return with a metallic tinted blanket. Throwing it over the boy, Tim wrapped the clone in chrome, helping him sit up as he did. Instantly, a warmth spread throughout his body and Kon began to feel his strength returning. However, this feeling fell second to the pleasant burn the Kryptonian experienced as Robin's fingers grazed his bare arms while wrapping the foil-like material around his body.

"It's a solar blanket," Tim replied at Conner's questioning glance. "The Bat developed it for Superman for when he gets injured on nighttime or interplanetary missions. It imitates the radiation from the yellow sun that gives Kryptonians their power and acts as a healing aid." The clone nodded in understanding.

"So… Batman?"

Tim's face turned grim. "He's been detained. An... ally dropped by just in time to help us out. He's currently resting up in the Watchtower getting treatment." Turning away, the Boy Wonder went to type something in a nearby computer consol. It was then that Conner noticed the limp in his step.

"You're hurt," he observed, getting to his feet, but wincing slightly as he did. The solar blanket was working fast, but Conner was still a bit sore. Making his way towards Tim, the boy went to conduct a physical exam of his own, placing a hand on the Boy Wonder's shoulder, a look of concern marring his features.

"Yeah…" Robin trailed off, back still turned towards his friend. "Got thrown against a wall. I'll be fine in about a week."

Conner wasn't convinced. Thus he spent the rest of the evening hovering over the Boy Wonder's shoulder, looking ridiculous as he dragged the solar blanket across the rock floor. Tim didn't seem to mind.

Xxx YjYjYjYjYj xxX

Damian sipped his coffee thoughtfully, a pensive expression hidden behind his ever present scowl. The Batfamily had just finished a joint meeting over Batman's current condition. After countless hours of hard work and research, Barbara had finally developed an antidote to Scarecrow's fear toxin and administered it to Bruce. He was currently resting peacefully up in Watchtower's medical bay. His father's safety, however, was not the topic currently occupying Damian's mind.

Jason Todd.

He was his father's weakness. The chink in the Dark Knight's armor.

He must be eliminated.

Xxx

**A/N: Yeah, this chap's a little short, but I wanted to post something so people didn't think I abandoned this story. Because I didn't. I'm just in the middle of final exams, so I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and write. By the way, Jason Todd? He's teaming up with Roy and Starfire in a comic after the reboot. It's gonna be sick! And yeah, that Roy/Jason fic will be published soon. Probably Monday, 'cause that's when I usually post things. Just because it's screaming at me to post it from my laptop. Oh, and I made a tumblr for my ff account. Time to shamelessy selfpromote. fanboytrippin dot tumblr dot com! XD**

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	10. In Which YJ Goes to School

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Young Justice, DC, or any DC characters, though the storyline is mine. This is AU – meaning alternate universe and SLASH, MEANING GAY! IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! Slight language.

**Pairings**: DickGraysonxWallyWest, ConnorKentxTimDrake _**EVENTUAL!**_

**A/N:** Now to kill Jason. Lol, just kidding! But I had lots of you going there, huh? But seriously, how am I supposed to write a spinoff/sequel with the Red Hood as the main character if I kill him off now? Anyway, for this chapter I had to look back at the infamous "Superbitch" comment from, "In Which Tim is Badass." I cringed at reading my own writing, since I've learned more about Tim's characterization and stuff since then. But that got me thinking… Would Dick say that type of thing? Anyway since Targets had Kon and Megan going to school, I thought I'd do a few school 'verse scenes.

Also, remember in the first chapter? When I had Dick telling Tim a bit Bitterly that Wally wouldn't notice them switching places 'cause he was too busy flirting with Megan? Yeah, well, if you caught how I had Dic liking Wally before this whole story started, then kudos to you! Anyway, onward!

**To the Reviewers:**

Special thanks to biblioholic, Raikimluva22, angelrider13, SpazticTwitchNinja, Kapaiele, Ahja Reyn, mrD1992, Kurozaki, and Robin'sStalker for reviewing! Lotsa love to you all!

**Background Info: (What I got from Wikipedia)**

Mal Duncan –aka Herald, made a cameo in Targets at Conner and Megan's school

Karen Beecher – aka Bumblebee, also made a cameo in Targets

Artemis goes to the same school as Dick, and subsequently Tim.

Gotham is apparently on the east coast, while Central City is… not, but is westward, so there's a timezone difference.

**Gemini 9**

"Robin!"

"Ooof!" Tim grunted as Ms. Martian tackled him in a hug. Geez, he hadn't been gone from the mountain for that long, had he? One week searching for Bats plus one week watching over the man recover only made for half a month's worth of absence.

…

Okay, maybe that was awhile.

"It is nice to see you again, my friend," Aqualad nodded, "You have been missed."

Tim rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Definitely awhile if even Kaldur was commenting on it. From the corner of the room, Conner sent him a smile. Blushing a bit – Tim told himself it was because he was just flustered from all the attention – he went to move out of the main meeting room towards the kitchen to grab a drink. He'd need one to continue with this charade.

Honestly, Tim was getting a little fed up. Dick's arm had been healing nicely up until his fight with the Batman. Now his recovery was likely to be delayed at least for another few weeks. Bummer.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tim saw Conner move to follow him and he smiled to himself. At least one good thing came from this whole situation. Kon was a great guy to talk to. Over the past two weeks, Tim and the Kryptonian had begun exchanging phone calls via a secure line. The boy was a bit more vocal than Tim had first thought once he got past his initial shyness, and their conversations were varied and detailed, from discussions about Tim's insecurities to questions Conner had about human tendencies.

"_Wally's been acting weird lately," Conner had said one time._

_Tim smirked. "Weirder than normal?"_

"_Yeah…" the clone said hesitantly, as if considering his next words. "He's not… uh… paying as much attention to Megan anymore."_

_It took a minute for Tim to figure out what his friend was actually trying to say. When he did, he snorted. "You mean he's finally quit with the fruitless flirting?"_

"… _Yes?" Conner replied hesitantly._

_A pause._

"_You don't know what flirting is, do you?"_

"… _Does Superman do it?"_

Snapping back to reality, Tim frowned. Superman. Right. He was the reason Tim was currently at the mountain at 6:30 on a Monday morning instead of getting ready for class.

He was also the reason that things at the mountain were going to get decidedly awkward in the next few minutes.

Clearing his throat, Tim got the others' attention. "So, you've probably heard, Batman's still a bit, uh, incapacitated… Right?" He began uncomfortably. His three teammates nodded their heads."Because of that, the League's decided to have another member step in, to substitute in his place."

Again, the other three nodded, though Tim could begin to see a glimmer of suspicion forming in the eyes of Kaldur and Megan.

Tim took a deep breath. "Therefore, starting today, Superman will be stepping in."

In an instant, a tense silence descended upon the room. Conner stiffened, while Megan and Kaldur sent him wary glances. Tim tried to look apologetic, but wasn't sure how effective he was being with his eyes hidden behind sunglasses. Silently, he fought the urge to sigh.

Time honestly wasn't any happier with this assignment than he assumed Conner was, especially considering how his last meeting with Superman went down. Looking back, he didn't actually know what possessed him to threaten the guy with laser beam eye. Maybe it was because a small part of him could sympathize with Conner, having experience with a father that was never there. That, or he'd listened to one too many of Dick's rants about him being a deadbeat dad.

Speaking of the guy with laser eyes, Superman never did get back to him on Conner's Kryptonian name…

Shaking his head out of his thoughts, Tim saw the clone move to leave the room. Frowning, he made to follow.

Tapping the boy on the shoulder, Tim tried to grab Conner's attention, though Kon didn't look to be in any mood to talk. Instead, Tim offered him a smile.

"It'll all be okay," he said, catching the Kon's eye. The boy just stared back at him wordlessly, before reluctantly nodding. That wasn't a great reaction…

"Besides, if the big man tries anything, I have some Kyrptonite in my belt," he tried again in a playful tone.

Surprised, Conner looked at him strangely before he let out what could have been a chuckle. Tim smiled. Mission accomplished.

As much as Tim would have loved cheering up his friend more, an alarm beeping on him phone served to remind him of the time. It was nearing 7:00 and if he didn't get back to Gotham now, Tim was going to be late for school.

And, come to think of it, so was Conner.

Blinking in realization, Tim slapped himself on the forehead as he remembered that today was Kon and Megan's first day of class. The League, through Bruce's many contacts, had arranged for the two of them to attend class at a local establishment in about half an hour.

"Dude," he said. "We have to get to school."

XXX

Damian paused as he took in the sight before him. This was Batman's weakness? This boy?

Jason Todd. He'd read up about him. A street rat his father had been gracious enough to pluck off the streets. Damian couldn't figure out why. What help could a common pick pocket possibly provide the Dark Knight, especially considering who the Batman had worked with before. Although Damian would never admit it out loud, Grayson was an ideal first partner for his father. Life as an acrobat physically conditioned him to be an adequate Robin, until someone with more training, like himself, was ready to take his place. Nevertheless, whether the redhead before him was fit to fight besides the Batman or not did not change the reason Damian was here.

He was going to eliminate his father's weakness.

Walking up to the boy, Damian sat down on Jason's bed before punching coordinates into a small mobile device.

A moment later and the two teleported away.

XXX

_RIIIIIIIIIIIIING_

"Ugh!" Conner groaned and Megan patted his shoulders sympathetically. Those stupid school bells! They were hurting his ears. They were surprising too. The first time they'd gone off, Conner had nearly jumped through the ceiling. The bells made him want to punch something.

Getting up to go to his next class, though, Conner realized school wasn't so bad, aside from the fact that he already knew the entire school curriculum thanks to the Genomes. That and the disguise Red Tornado and Megan's Uncle J'onn forced him to wear. Plaid shirts and fake glasses really weren't his thing. Other than his dorky civilian costume, though, school seemed pretty... manageable.

"Unff!" A walking wall crashed into Conner. "Watch it, nerd!"

Maybe he had spoken too soon.

Conner glared at the teen that had bumped into him, a boy named Mal Duncan, as he pushed his way past and frowned.

"You bumped into me," he growled.

Mal paused before turning back to face the clone. "What did you say?" he demanded, thumping him on the chest. Kon stumbled back from the force, glasses clattering to the ground. Still, though, he didn't back down.

"I said, _you_ bumped into _me_!" Conner repeated, getting back to his feet and shoving him back, super strength seeping out and crashing the guy a little too roughly into a wall.

_Conner!_ Megan's voice shouted in his mind.

Right. Need to stay under the radar. Which meant no superpowers.

Much to both Conner and Megan's surprise, though, Mal got up, unperturbed by the Kryptonian's display of strength. Must come from being a football player. Ready to fight, the teen stormed towards the clone, but stopped short as a new voice cut in.

"Easy Duncan," Karen Beecher, resident cheerleader and the angry teen's girlfriend, interrupted, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Just calm down."

Growling, the boy looked about to respond, but reconsidered, settling for one last acidic look back at the clone before storming away. Conner and Megan watched as he went.

"Thanks," Conner grunted, turning towards the dark skinned girl. She just nodded.

"Look, new guy," she said curtly, crossing her arms and looking at the two suspiciously, "You'll have to excuse Mal, he's just under a little stress. With the state championships coming up and his sister running off, he's not exactly Mr. Sunshine at the moment."

"His sister?" Megan asked.

Karen nodded sadly. "She ran off after telling her parents she was a lesbian. Apparently they didn't take it too well."

Conner cocked his head to the side. "A lesbian?"

"Yeah," Karen replied, taking a defensive stance, "Got a problem with that?"

"What's a lesbian?"

For a moment, the cheerleader stared at him stunned, eyes widened in astonishment at the boy's confused expression. She looked at Megan for support, but at her equally curious expression, let out an exasperated sigh. It was then that the two young superheroes found themselves receiving an awkward explanation of sexuality from the young teenage girl.

"Uhhh, sorry," Megan later apologized, after the talk, "But you see… Conner and I… we've lived _very_ sheltered lives and have been homeschooled until now, so…" She laughed uncomfortably.

"Uh , sure." Karen replied, giving her a strained smile. "No problem."

There clearly was a problem.

_Was sexuality not an appropriate conversational topic?_ Conner mused. He couldn't see why it would be, though his knowledge of the issue was scarce. Apparently the guys at Cadmus didn't deem it necessary to program such information into his brain.

Karen's words puzzled Conner, though. From the teen's description, to be gay just meant that one preferred a mate of the same gender. He couldn't see what the big deal was, though.

Then again, Conner had never considered what it meant to be gay. Though he did hear the word occasionally get thrown around before by Wally and Robin –well the old Robin, the Robin he talked to now had never said the word. After what Kon referred to in his head as "the change," when he'd first noticed something different about the Boy Wonder, the teen had began mentally been classifying him as two different people: old Robin and new Robin.

What did it mean to be attracted to another person anyway? Conner didn't know. He's never felt that way towards anyone, had he?

Well…

There was that incident in Bilaya with Megan, but Conner chalked that up as a result of Psimon's mind wipe and the Martian's obvious crush influencing his impressionable _and blank_ mind.

He'd have to ask Robin about it later, this concept of attraction.

Kon smiled. Robin. He always seemed to have an answer to his questions, no matter what the topic. Recently, the Boy Wonder and himself had been talking more and more, on the phone, and Robin had even offered to teach Kon how to use a webcam so they could talk face to face while he was in Gotham. He was such a great friend…

"Conner?"

"Huh?"

"We're gonna be late to our next class," Megan said, pointing down the hall and beginning to walk.

"Uh, yeah, right. Sorry," said the clone, following. Time to focus on school.

Conner however, soon found his thoughts wandering back towards the Boy Wonder during his next class.

They stayed on him for the rest of the day.

XXX

"Dick? Dick? Hello?"

Dick woke with a start. "Huh? What?"

Artemis laughed. "Kid, if you're gonna take a nap, I wouldn't recommend the middle of language class."

Rubbing his eyes, Dick sighed. "Thanks for waking me," he said. "Seriously, if Ms. A caught me one more time nodding off, I would've been in for some serious trouble."

The blonde nodded her head sympathetically and turned back to face the board, Dick doing the same. Honestly, though, he was battling to stay awake.

Lately, Dick had been having nightmares. The incident with Bruce was beginning to catch up with him. However, it was not Batman and fear gas that his dreams consisted of, but rather a certain redheaded speedster. More specifically, his death.

It was always different too. Sometimes Wally burned in flames, other times he drowned in water. Last night's nightmare, though, had been the worse. Wally was on a trapeze and had fallen to his death, screaming his name.

Though these dreams were frightening, terrifying, what scared Dick more was the revelations with which they brought. His dreams could have been about anyone: Bruce, Tim, Barbara, Cass, even Steph, yet Wally seemed to be the main focus. And reluctantly, Dick knew why.

Recently, Dick had realized his feelings for the speedster were no longer just platonic. He'd started noticing about the same time Wally started flirting with Megan at the formation of Young Justice, though had deluded himself into thinking all he wanted was friendship. His dreams, however, forced him to admit otherwise.

He liked Wally.

That truth was forcing him to reevaluate whether or not he should make Tim's placement on the team a little more permanent.

Having feelings for someone you worked with was dangerous, that much Dick knew. It's one of the reasons why Batman and Wonder Woman never got together and why the Green Lantern and Hawkgirl seemed to get into so much trouble on missions. And really, Dick didn't even want to get started on the whole Catwoman phase – and boy did Dick hope it was only a phase – Bruce was going through at the moment.

This decision, though, Dick frowned, would be difficult. He'd have to it with Tim. It would affect him as much as –

"Hey Dick? You know the bell's rung, right?"

Speak of the Devil. Tim was standing right before him.

"Uh, yeah," said Dick, gathering up his things. "Look, I have to talk to you about something," he said, slowly, "It concerns Wally."

Tim perked up. "Really? I was about to say the same thing."

Dick swallowed as he watched their teacher exit the room, then quickly went to lock the door, leaving them alone. The following conversation was going to require a certain degree of privacy.

Once they were alone, Dick took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love," he blurted. Tim just froze. He quickly made to clarify, "Erm… I mean, maybe not love, but, uh, in deep like?"

"With… Wally?" Tim enunciated after a moment. Dick nodded his head, a little unsure of his friend's reaction. "Oh… damn…"

"A-are you not okay with that?" Dick asked hesitantly. With all the shock at realizing his feelings for his friend, he hadn't stopped to think about how Tim would take the news.

"What? Oh, no, it's fine," Tim replied quickly, "It's just that –"

"Oh thank God," Dick interrupted, relief flooding his senses. "You had me worried there for a second."

"Really?" Tim asked, rolling his eyes. "You're my best friend, did you really think I'd care? But that's not this issue here. Wally –"

"If you're going to warn me about fraternization within the workplace, I'm ten steps ahead of you," Dick said, interrupting him for a second time.

Tim just shook his head. "Again, that's not the issue. I have no problem with you and Kid Flash getting together. It's just –"

"Wait, really? You're okay with me and him getting it on while still working on Young Justice?"

"No – I mean yes, but – Wait," Tim paused, giving Dick a weird look. "What do you mean _getting it on_?"

Dick blushed and Tim got his answer.

"Dude, you are _way_ too young."

"Shut up, you're scared of boobs."

"Only when they're shoved up in my face."

"Really? Stephanie did that?"

There was a short pause before both teens dissolved into fits of laughter, though Tim quickly sobered up and caught Dick's attention again. "Look, Dick, I have _no_ problem with you wanting to pursue a relationship with Wally, it's just, you should know that he–"

*RIIIIIIIINGGG*

Another pause.

"And that would be the bell," Tim groaned, a hand coming to his face as he let out the frustrated sound. Dick smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry you didn't get to tell me what you had to say, but I have to get to history. We can catch up later, after school, right?"

Tim sighed as he moved towards the door. "Just don't do anything with Wally before I get to tell you what I have to say. There's something about him you don't know."

Dick laughed. "Wally's one of my best friends. There's nothing about him I don't know. And don't worry, I don't plan on actually making a move until I'm back being Robin."

XXX

Wally West was a long way from Central City, once again in Gotham for what must have been the third time this month. He was going to pick up Dick from school.

Since Bruce Wayne had been found a little over two weeks ago, Wally had decided it best not to pursue the young Grayson for a while, to give him time to spend with family. He'd kept his distance from the boy, letting him heal and delaying his advances. Today would be the first time in a long while that he'd try to meet up with Dick.

His plan was simple. Pick the boy up, ask him if he wanted to see a movie, go for some ice cream afterwards, then possibly confess his feelings.

In retrospect, maybe confessing his feelings so soon to a guy he really didn't know that well was a bad idea, but in his time away from Dick, Wally realized that keeping his feelings tucked away was killing him. Plus, he didn't want to spend too much time with the boy without revealing his intent and get forever stuck in the 'friend zone.' That would be a real nightmare.

The shrill ring of the end of the day bell soon graced the speedster's ear and not a second later, the courtyard of Dick's school was flooded with teens. Keeping his eyes peeled, Wally caught sight of the twin raven heads of Dick and his lookalike friend that Wally'd first met at the mansion. They looked to be engaged in friendly conversation.

"So what is it you wanted to tell me?" across the courtyard, Dick asked Tim.

"Just that, before you start anything with Wally, you should know that he –"

"Dick!"

Both boys turned to see the redhead in question waving enthusiastically from across the street of their school.

"Wally?" Dick exclaimed. "What's he doing here?"

"And are those a pair of your sunglasses?" Tim added, inquiring at the superhero's civilian disguise.

"Dick Grayson only knows him as Kid Flash, so I guess – Oh hey, KF! What are you doing here?" he replied as the boy superspeeded up next to him, right between him and Tim.

"I was thinking it's been too long since we've hung out," he said, flashing him a smile.

Besides Wally, Tim sent him a look and mouthed a message at Dick. _What about our talk?_ Dick just sent him an apologetic look. Tim threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Wally?" a new voice inquired, Artemis. Wally suddenly stiffened, smile turning strained, as he ignored the blonde. Thinking he didn't hear him, she approached the scene, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him to face her. "Wally, aren't you still suppose to be in Central City? School hasn't let out there yet, right?"

In the background, Tim's hand flew to his head. Missy just blew Kid's secret identity. Or would have if Dick hadn't already known who Kid Flash was.

Though Wally didn't know that.

"I'm sorry, Miss," he said, lowering his voice in a vain attempt at misdirection, "I think you've got the wrong person."

His eyebrows twitched.

Quickly catching on and realizing for the first time that they weren't alone, Artemis quickly backed up. "Uh, yeah, right. Sorry, from the back, you look just like a friend." She backed away, turned and left.

Tim shot Dick a glance. He was looking very amused.

"So KF? What did you have in mind?" he asked, getting Wally's attention again.

Tim rolled his eyes at the sickly sweet tone of Dick's voice, but stopped as he saw Alfred's car roll up. "So I guess I'm heading back to the manor alone then?"

Dick spared him a quick glance, before nodding. "Yeah, sorry, we'll talk later then?"

Tim nodded, before heading out to the vehicle, unfortunately bearing witness to the obvious flirting as he left.

"So, that girl was right, wasn't she? You should totally be in class right now."

"I skipped last period just to meet with you~"

Tim gagged. Didn't Dick say he was going to wait until he got better before revealing his feelings _as Robin?_ Which, by the way, could be a problem as Wally had already confessed his crush on Grayson _to_ _him as Robin_. Now the two were spending time together, getting closer, with Dick obviously forgetting to keep his two identities separate, before Tim had time to fill him in and… he had to stop it.

Tim had to delay Wally and Dick's relationship until he at least could update his counterpart on the going-ons of the mountain. If he didn't and Dick and Wally's relationship progressed, there would be trouble down the road. This situation was sticky enough with Dick barely maintaining his separate identities in front of the speedster.

Tim sighed as he crossed the street. Obviously, Wally's civilian relationship with Dick could have progressed normally if it weren't for the fact that later, Dick would confess to Wally under his masked identity. And since Tim knew that Wally had a crush on _Dick_ and not _Robin_, that would force the speedster to choose between the two when in actuality, they were the same person. This could little tidbit could ruin their friendship or worse lead to Dick revealing his secret identity. That was not an option. Batman would be furious.

Flipping out his cell phone and getting into Alfred's car, Tim sent a text. "Sorry Alf, Dick's gone out with friends."

Surprisingly, Alfred didn't respond.

"Alfred?" Tim asked looking up. He was met with a sigh.

"Aww, and I was _so_ looking forward to seeing Dickie again," a voice that clearly was not Alfred replied from the front seat. Tim's eyes widened as he caught sight of a flash of red hair sitting at the wheel, Damian at his side in the passenger seat.

"Hi," the redhead smirked, extending a hand, "I'm Jason."

XXX

Miles away, in the labs of Central City, the phone of Barry Allen vibrated animatedly. Plucking off his lab gloves and picking up the device, the man went to answer the text from the familiar number of one Boy Wonder. With a gasp, the man read the message.

_Wally has a date._

Xxx

**A/N: Hmmph. I was gonna write more Wally in this chapter, but really, I seem fixated on Tim/Kon. And sorry for the delay, my internet's been on the fritz and I meant to upload this on Monday, but it didn't get done. And then I added stuff. So… I brought Barry in! Plus I mentioned pretty much all the YJ members thus far. That's good, right? The plot lines probably are gonna diverge from here, but if you like everything in one chapter, drop a review?**

**REVIEW!**


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